There are More Things in Heaven and Earth
by ParallaxNoir
Summary: (Modern high school AU) Sebastian is a bored, tired English teacher, who finds little interesting in his classes. Except for one student, who inconsistently hands in perfect papers. Perhaps Sebastian has found something to be interested in after all. But what happens once the darkness of Ciel's past bubbles to the surface amid the forbidden affair? (SebastianxCiel)
1. Uninteresting

Meet our lovely friend Sebastian in this first chapter :) The M rating is for language and sexual situations in later chapters. Please enjoy.

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_Briiiiiiiing Briiiiiiing. BRIIIIIIIING._

Sebastian groaned and rolled over, hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock on the third try. Better than yesterday, anyway. Yesterday it had taken him a whole five times to beat that infernal machine into submission. And hey, improvement's improvement.

The early morning haze carried him from his bed to the shower, and from the shower to the mirror, and from the mirror to the wardrobe, and from the wardrobe to the kitchen counter. He didn't remember all of it, but he doubted anything of great importance or excitement had taken place during this morning journey. He thought vaguely of what kind of exciting things could conceivably take place between his bed and his breakfast, and by the time he'd capped off his third outrageous mental scenario (only two of which contained raging elephants, and only one an unexpected pregnancy), he had finished both his eggs and his tea, and was almost ready to consciously acknowledge the outside world.

Sebastian peaked behind the curtain on his kitchen window, and once he had resigned himself to the inevitable fact that the sun had indeed risen again today, he made his way to his study. There he gathered up a myriad of papers and notebooks and packed them neatly into his bag. Among the other things that he took, he nearly forgot to grab a file folder that carried all of his classes' most recent essays. While he was certain that plenty of his students would just as soon rather _not_ see the marks that his merciless red pen had carved onto their pages, he figured it would be best if he actually brought them to class.

Once he was certain that everything was together, he grabbed his keys with all the vigor and flourish of an unconscious horse, and left his apartment. His car wasn't old but it wasn't new, and the make and model were nondescript enough not to describe. The first time he turned the key in the ignition in the intent to start the car, the engine thought better of it and sputtered out.

"Really, now," Sebastian sighed, "if I have do things today then you most certainly have to, too." As if on reluctant command, the engine turned over on the next try. "Of course," he muttered to himself, "even a broken down vehicle would be much too exciting an endeavor for any morning of mine." Without much more thought, he put the car in gear and headed off.

The high school where Sebastian worked was in the middle of town. The demographic was mixed and uninteresting. The students of varying levels of intelligence, and uninteresting. His fellow staff of varying levels of competence, and uninteresting. And as he unlocked the door to his classroom and went in, he noted that it, too, was mostly uninteresting.

Sebastian crossed the room and sat down at his desk, unpacking his things from his bag. He took his first class's essays from their file folder and stacked them on his desk. He wouldn't give them out until the end of the period, of course, because he knew that if he started class by handing them out, that would be all the students would be interested in.

He checked the clock on the wall. It would be another ten minutes or so until the sea of students milling about outside would begin to trickle into their respective classrooms, and he would be expected to teach some of them.

How uninteresting.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh.

He had been working at the school for only a few years. Previously, he had been employed at a university, where the students were interested and the subjects interesting. He could teach his material in the way that he wanted, and no nuance was caught in the sieve that he was forced to strain academics through to thin them out enough to spoon feed them to sensitive high schoolers. Leaving the university was the worst decision in his life (next to one other, of course), and this was the price he was forced to pay for it.

Sebastian picked up the stack of essays and shuffled through some of them. As his eyes scanned his correction marks beneath the dismal scores at the tops of the sheets, he marveled at some of the mistakes his students had made. This was an English class, and yet he wondered if any of these adolescents had ever spoken the language before.

As he flipped through the pages his hands stilled as he held in front of him the only perfect paper in the stack. While most of the students who had sneaked by with a passing grade had only unremarkable scores, this one stood out. Only this one.

He skimmed over the essay again, marveling at the student's use of analysis. He had used techniques that Sebastian hadn't even remembered teaching. He glanced at the name and chuckled. He wasn't surprised.

This student was the only one in his class to have gotten perfect scores on his essays. Some of them, anyway. Because those he didn't write with the pen of the gods, were utter failures. When he wasn't handing in perfect papers, he'd turn in multiple blank pages stapled beneath one of only a paragraph or two, with notes at the end that amounted to things like "I wasn't interested in the prompt" or "I had better things to do."

Sebastian was brought out of his musings by the jarring screech of the school bell. Students began to file in and take their seats, the offensive ringing of the bell was replaced by the chatter of conversation and the scraping of desk chairs.

Sebastian sighed and went over to the blackboard, writing across the top of it the title of the next piece of literature they would be reading. As he drew a thick line beneath Shakespeare's _Hamlet_, he wondered to himself what he'd be reading in young Ciel Phantomhive's essays on the bard's tale of revenge, and he placed bets with himself on if they'd be works of analytical masterpiece, or simply blank pages, upon which Sebastian would never read his thoughts.

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I know much hasn't happened yet in this chapter, but we will be meeting Ciel soon, so that is exciting. I'd ask that you please review, but I doubt that if you had the thought steadfastly in your mind that should refuse such a act, my words would do little to sway you. :)


	2. Act I, Scene 1

Enter Ciel and Alois :)

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"Haaaamlet? Do you see, Ciel? Do you see? He's making us read _Hamlet_."

"What?" Ciel looked up from his mindless doodles to see his friend leaning over from his chair to rest his head on Ciel's desk, his blonde locks feathered out across the edge of his notebook.

"I said that we're reading Hamlet," whined Alois flicking Ciel on the nose playfully. "Pay attention to me."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Really, Alois. I think you're in a perpetual state of being starved of attention. And I don't mind Hamlet. Now get off my desk. Class is starting."

Alois groaned and sat up again, resting his chin in his palm and not bothering to take out his supplies. "Hamlet is so long. And he'll probably make our major paper be on it too. Michaelis is the worst."

Ciel raised an eyebrow at the blonde, smirking. "You only say that because you can't _persuade_ him quite as easily as you can Faustus."

"Shut up, Ciel. Class is starting."

Ciel snickered and turned back to the front of the classroom.

Their English teacher, Mr. Michaelis, had drawn up a list of the major characters in Shakespeare's play. He was sitting now back at his desk, waiting patiently for the class of seniors to quiet their chatter. He looked in no more of a hurry to start the lesson than any of the students. Eventually, however, he finally spoke to them in the same tired drawl as ever. "Alright, alright. Quiet down."

After only a few minutes of whispering the room was quiet once again. "As I'm sure you all have noticed, we will be reading Hamlet as our next piece of literature. I came to the brilliantly enlightening conclusion during our last novel that if I'm the one reading to you your attention has a tendency to wane at an exponential rate. Unfortunately, it also seems to be the case that if left to read on your own, the chances of any actual _reading_ taking place plummets below sea level. And so, I've made the executive decision that this time around I'll be assigning parts for you to read aloud to your bright-eyed and eager classmates."

This call for remotely above average participation brought forth a desperate groan from Ciel's classmates, with Alois, of course, chiming in loudly with the rest.

"Are you kidding? Stupid son of a bitch… I hate reading," Alois was muttered to himself, tapping his desk in indignant frustration.

"This is an _English_ class, Alois. You'll have to read no matter what," Ciel whispered back at his friend, to which he replied only by sticking out his tongue.

Michaelis clearly didn't take their resistance to heart. "Yes, yes, woe are you all. So. Would anyone like to volunteer for any of the listed characters? No? Alright then." Michaelis stood and approached the board, writing down Ciel's classmates' names next to their assigned parts as he spoke them. "For Ophelia, we'll have Miss Midford. Laertes, Mr. Sutcliff. For Claudius…"

Ciel stopped listening. While he had better manners than to groan at Michaelis's teaching methods, the thought of his class reading _Hamlet_ aloud was making him cringe already. He knew most of his classmates that were like Alois were lazy enough not to put the slightest effort into something so interactive, and those like their newly christened Laertes would wring every ounce of dramatic potentiality from their characters until they were reduced to little more than embarrassing caricatures.

"…we'll have Mr. Phantomhive."

"What?" Ciel looked up, shaken from his absentmindedness by the sound of his own name.

"Hamlet, Mr. Phantomhive. You'll be reading for Hamlet." Michaelis raised his eyebrows at him, as if daring him to argue the point.

"Uh, sure. Okay." Ciel waited for Michaelis to turn his back on them again before shrugging at Alois. "Ow!" He hissed, as his friend met his resigned motion with a punch to the shoulder. "What's that for?"

"You're fucking Hamlet!" Alois hissed back, looking irritated.

"Uh, okay? Who are you?

"Fucking Guildenfuck! Ugh. He doesn't even matter," Alois said in annoyance, flipping through his book, which he'd apparently finally decided to take from his bag.

"What do you care? You don't even like this class." Ciel glanced at the clock, calculating how much time they had left in the period.

"I know that. But how could he not give me a more important role? That asshole."

"Yeah, okay. Just shut up and pay attention."

This was, of course, just like Alois. It didn't matter to him much of he had an important reading part at all, so much as he _himself_ wanted to be important. Typical Alois.

The rest of the period went by with little incident. Ciel read his part with an appropriate level of enthusiasm, trying not to cringe too visibly when his classmates read. As usual, Michaelis witnessed the class period with the same look of disinterest as ever. When the school bell finally rang, it was none too soon.

Ciel gathered up his things and left the classroom with Alois, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Well. You make a good Hamlet," said Alois coldly as they walked down the hall to their next class. "Michaelis seems to think so, at least.

"What do you mean?" Ciel asked, frowning at his friend.

"What, you didn't notice? The only time that bastard looked up from his book was when you were reading. I guess he just doesn't understand real talent."

"Alois, you didn't even read today."

"Shut up, Ciel."

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I hope you enjoyed this second bit! And don't worry if you haven't read _Hamlet_ (I don't blame you, it's quite long), there won't be too much focus on it. Soon we will have plenty ELSE to focus on~ (Reviews are always much appreciated. So are baked goods, of course, though those are somewhat more difficult to express over the internet.)


	3. Passionate

Sebastian was grading one of his student's quizzes when Ciel walked into his classroom after school let out for the day. The student had actually impressed Sebastian with his level of incompetence when he had turned in a quiz with answers that hadn't even pertained to the book that they were reading. How someone could think that they were still reading _Siddhartha_ when the questions on the quiz begged for information on the relationship between Oedipus and his father was too far beyond his comprehension.

"Uh, you wanted to see me?" Ciel walked over and pulled up a chair next to Sebastian's desk with all the nonchalance of an old friend. "I got a note from one of the TAs to see you after class."

"Yes," replied Sebastian, reaching into his desk and pulling out the stack of Ciel's class's essays. "I forgot to hand these out in your period, and I wanted to talk to you about yours anyway." He took Ciel's paper from the stack and handed it to him, leaning back to give him the chance to look it over.

Ciel glanced at his score and then back up at Sebastian, not bothering to read through the comments he'd made on it. "What's the problem?"

Sebastian frowned and leaned forward onto his desk. "Problem? There's no problem at all."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you need to talk to me? It's a good grade."

Sebastian sighed in some impatience. "It's not just a _good_ grade, Ciel. It's perfect. The paper is perfect."

"Yeah, I see that." Ciel put down his essay and took his phone out of his pocket, pausing a moment to reply to someone's text message. "So… what?"

Sebastian leaned back in his chair again, frowning at the brilliant student in front of him. "…What are your plans for college, Ciel?"

Ciel, satisfied that he wasn't in any sort of trouble, had focused his attention again on his phone. "I don't know. I don't really plan to go to college. My family ran a pretty successful business, and I was always going to take it over. Some people are watching over it until I can do anything with it, so I guess maybe I'll just do that someday. And really, it doesn't seem like something I need any more school for. So why waste my time?"

"Someday? Maybe? You guess? Ciel, you're one of the brightest students I've ever had. But half the time you don't even _do_ your assignments, and you aren't planning at all for your future." Sebastian's impatience was becoming frustration. "And I hardly consider higher education a _waste._"

"Maybe _you_ don't," Ciel countered, not looking up from his phone. "And you said it yourself, I don't even do most of my classwork. I doubt I'd have any more motivation in college."

_Laziness_. Sitting in front of Sebastian was one of the most naturally talented students that he'd ever encountered, and he was simply too lazy to apply himself in any way. Sebastian knew that Ciel came from a rich family. That most of the things in his life had been provided for him, and the few things that hadn't been he could have others do for him. Seeing someone so talented throw away his potential was infuriating. He wanted to help him, and he wasn't even listening to him. He wasn't even _looking_ at him. Sebastian took Ciel's phone from his hand, forcing him to pay him his full attention.

"Hey!" Ciel looked up at Sebastian indignantly. "What's your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is that you're wasting your talent by being lazy and spoiled. I've worked with motivated students who worked hard for years to be as good as you are naturally, and I won't just let you throw that away. You're capable of more than you're doing, and you won't even put in the effort to try."

Ciel's annoyance turned to anger as he glared at Sebastian. "I'm not _lazy_. And I'm not _spoiled_. You don't know the first _thing_ about what I've been through, so maybe you should get off my case and leave me the hell alone about my future. It isn't any of your damn business, anyway. I aced your fucking paper, so why don't you just leave it alone? Now give me back my phone. I'm meeting someone."

Sebastian blinked, surprised by Ciel's outburst. "…What do you mean? What is it you've been through?"

Ciel stood up, kicking his chair back over to the desk that he took it from. "Forget it. Just give me my phone so I can go."

Sebastian frowned, considering Ciel in a different way than he had before. Ciel had never been the kind of person to act out like he just had. He'd always seemed like such a calm, collected, and mature person, unlike most of Sebastian's students. So what could have happened to him to make him react like this? And could it be connected to his sporadic performance?

Sebastian shook his head and put Ciel's phone into one of his desk drawers, locking it. "I'm confiscating it. You can have it back once you've handed in three completed assignments consecutively."

"You can't do that!" Ciel stopped, checking his watch. "Whatever. I have to go. I'll talk to the administration about your controlling teaching methods later." Ciel slung his bag over his shoulder again, walking to the door. And as he went out, he dropped the essay Sebastian had just handed back to him in the wastebasket. Then he stopped, hand on the doorknob, and looked back at him. "And making our class read Hamlet was a stupid idea. You know no one in our class cares. And they can't read worth shit."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You can."

Ciel stopped, a strange look passing over his face. "…Whatever." He then turned and left the classroom, shutting the door behind him with more force than was really necessary.

Sebastian sat there for a moment, letting the strangeness of their meeting wash over him. A few minutes later, he went over and retrieved Ciel's paper from the wastebasket, taking it over to his desk and carefully tucking it into one of the folders in his bag.

Sebastian had never had a conversation with a student become heated like that before. _You've also never accused a student of being lazy and spoiled to their face, _he thought to himself. And it was true. Sure, he'd confronted students (mostly college students) before when he was concerned about their performance in class, but he'd never had the discussion take such a personal turn. He supposed he'd just never… _cared_ so much before.

Sebastian frowned, staring off. "Why _do_ I care so much?" He muttered aloud to himself. Sure, there was every reason for Ciel's refusal to apply himself to bother him, but not to this degree. Not to such a degree that he would become emotional enough to actual get angry. And he _was_ angry. Angry at Ciel for not realizing his potential. Angry at himself for not being a better, more influential teacher. Angry about whatever had happened in Ciel's life that made him react so passionately today.

_Passionately._

The word stuck in his head. That was what it had been. Their conversation had been much more passionate than any meeting with a student had ever been before. They had both reacted to such simple subject matter in a much more passionate way than the conversation really even called for. But why? Sebastian had clearly struck a chord that was personal for Ciel. But what about Sebastian? Why had he gotten so worked up?

Sebastian rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to clear his head. What did it matter, anyway? He was sure the matter wasn't over yet. He had overreacted and had confiscated a student's property without real cause or authority. And if Ciel was serious about getting the administration involved (which he was sure he was), then he'd have that to worry about too.

Sebastian sighed and put his things away. He resolved to go home and just forget about the matter until tomorrow, when he'd have no choice but to deal with it. He gathered up his things and went out of the classroom, turning off the lights and locking the door behind him. Then he went out to his uninteresting vehicle, and drove home to his uninteresting flat, where he was sure his evening would also be uninteresting.

_But today wasn't uninteresting. Today wasn't uninteresting at all._

And Sebastian thought on this as he went about his evening rituals. No, today hadn't been uninteresting, as he had thought it was going to be. Whether it was for better or for worse, Ciel Phantomhive had made it quite interesting after all.

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Hope you like chapter 3 :) It's a little longer than the previous two. Thank you to those who have reviewed! Also thank you to those who haven't, I suppose. But it's harder to directly thank you. So you should get on those reviews. Or the baked goods. Or world peace or something. Then I can thank you more.


	4. Drink

Yes, I did only publish chapter 3 earlier today. But I have an Epistemology midterm tomorrow and I'm definitely stalling. Also, as a fair warning, there is a little bit of AloisxCiel here. :D

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When Ciel walked into Alois's room, his friend was already waiting for him.

"Where in the world have you been, and why was it more important than me?" Alois was lying on his bed, flipping through a magazine and looking bored.

Ciel went over and pushed a small mountain of clothes off of Alois's bed to make room and sat down, dropping his backpack to the floor. He and Alois had been friends since they were children, and it wasn't abnormal for Ciel to welcome himself into his friend's house. Actually, he was fairly certain that if he did ring the doorbell or knock on the front door, Alois would just whine at him that he didn't want to get up and answer it. "I told you, I had to meet with Michaelis."

Alois rolled onto his back, looking up at Ciel through his tousled blonde locks. "I still fail to see how this is more important than me."

Ciel rolled his eyes, picking up Alois's phone and scrolling through his inbox. There were few boundaries of privacy between the two of them, and this was hardly out of the ordinary.

"There's nothing interesting in there." Alois moved over closer to Ciel, reaching into his pockets to look for his friend's phone as well. "What did he want?"

Ciel didn't bother to tell him he wouldn't find his phone, and just let him get frustrated. "He gave me back my essay. And he lectured me on figuring out my future or some shit." Ciel paused in scrolling through Alois's text messages when he saw their history teacher's name. "Really? Still this thing with Faustus? And yeah, I'd call this interesting." Ciel opened the message and raised his eyebrows. "…Too interesting. Definitely too interesting."

Alois gave up on his endeavor to find Ciel's phone and rested his head in his friend's lap, tilting Ciel's hand down so he could read the message in question. He laughed after reading it. "I'd had a few by then. This is what happens when you leave me alone at night to study. Jealous?"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Hardly."

"You're no fun." Alois reached over the side of his bed to grab a water bottle and took a drink from it. "Did you tank on the essay?"

Ciel frowned and took the bottle from him, sniffing it. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of the whiskey. "Really, Alois, it's Tuesday. And no, I got a perfect score."

Alois shrugged and took the bottle back, taking a swig from it. "It's Friday somewhere. So why the hell did he lecture you about your life if you aced it? And fuck you, by the way. That essay was awful."

"Alois, that doesn't even make sense. The days of the week don't work like that. And it was only awful because you didn't read the book. I offered to help you with the paper, but when I came over to work on it with you you just wanted to get drunk and talk about fucking teachers." Ciel frowned and took the bottle away from Alois after he had taken another drink from it.

"Priorities, Ciel. Priorities." Alois sat up. "Give that back." He reached for the bottle, which Ciel held further out of his reach.

"Sorry, Alois. Priorities. We have history homework due tomorrow." Ciel put down the bottle in exchange for their textbook, opening it up and setting it on the bed in front of them. "We have like ten pages of reading to do, and I doubt you've even started it."

Alois reached past him and took the bottle, taking another drink from it. "I don't know if you forgot, Ciel, but I don't _have_ to do history homework anymore." Alois smirked and closed the book. "And I'm sure I could make it so you don't have to, either. Now drink with me."

Ciel sighed in frustration. "Alois. I'm not going to prosper off of your ill-gotten gains. You're disgusting. And I'm not drinking on a Tuesday."

Alois finished off what was in his water bottle and reached under his bed, pulling out a bottle of tequila. "Pft. Whatever. It's really not so bad, you know. The ill-getting. You should try it sometime." He opened the bottle and held it out to Ciel. "I'm sure Michaelis would lay off if you gave him something other than your GPA to focus on."

Ciel pushed the bottle away, opening his textbook again. "I'm not a whore like you, Alois."

Alois feigned offense, putting his hand to his chest in mock pain. "You hurt me, Ciel! I'm not a whore. I'm just… aware of my assets." He took a long drink of the bottle, making a face. "It's not my fault I'm resourceful. Besides, Faustus is hot. It's also not my fault he's a lecherous old man. It's not like I _forced_ him into anything." Alois had begun to sway slightly, the effects of the alcohol beginning to take hold.

"Knowing you, you probably practically did. You can be pretty persuasive when you want to be. And I'm not like you. I would never actually sleep with a teacher, no matter how bad my grades were." Ciel reached instinctively for his phone to check his messages, but then stopped when he remembered it was in Michaelis's desk.

Alois frowned, looking through Ciel's pockets again, if a bit more clumsily. "Where's your phone, Ciel?"

Ciel made a face. "Michaelis confiscated it. I wasn't really listening to him when he was lecturing me."

Alois's eyes widened in disbelief. "He took your phone? That son of a bitch! He can't do that!" Alois went to take another drink and missed his mouth on the first try.

Ciel carefully took the bottle from him and set it on the bedside table. "I know. I'm going to talk to an administrator tomorrow and have them make him give it back. Alois, you need to alter your drinking patterns. You're kind of an embarrassment."

"Like you don't drink with me all the time. And it's good tequila." Alois leaned forward, his face only inches from Ciel's, and grinned. "Wanna taste?" He leaned a little closer, his lips a hair's breadth from Ciel's. "Come on. I can be pretty persuasive, after all."

Ciel felt a shiver run down his spine for a split second. Alois was a very flirtatious person by nature, and it multiplied tenfold when he was drunk. And it was true, he and Alois did drink together often. And fortunately for Ciel, Alois never remembered it.

Ciel put his hand on Alois's face and pushed him away. "Stop being a drunken slut, Alois. I have homework."

Alois whined and sat back, crossing his arms. "You're not any fun at all when you're sober." Alois sat in silence for a moment watching Ciel read until he apparently had an epiphany. "You said you wouldn't sleep with a teacher for your grades, right?"

Ciel looked back at his friend, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. So?"

"Soooooo…" Alois leaned against Ciel, resting his head on his shoulder. "Would you do it to get your phone back?"

Ciel groaned and pushed the blonde off of him, not feeling bad when Alois lost his balance and tumbled off of the bed. "You're absolutely incorrigible. Why do you want so badly for me to fuck around with teachers like you do?"

Alois stood back up and rolled onto his bed again, sitting up next to Ciel with some effort. "Because, Ciel," replied Alois, his voice low, his lips curling again into a smirk. "It would do you good to spend some time with a seasoned adult. You could use the experience."

Ciel raised an eyebrow, feeling the warmth of a blush on his cheek. "What the hell are you talking about, Alois?"

Alois leaned forward and brushed a lock of Ciel's hair behind his ear, speaking quietly to him. He was close enough that Ciel could feel the warmth of his alcohol laced breath against his ear. "Because I'm not so sloppy a drunk that I forget _everything_ that happens when I've had too much to drink."

Ciel's face flushed red only partially from anger, pushing Alois forcefully away from him. "Shut up, Alois. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going home. I have work to do." Ciel stood up, shoving his book forcefully back into his bag. "Try not to fuck any shit up while you're wasted."

Alois whined and got up, stumbling over to him. "Ciel, don't go! I'm sorry. I won't tease you anymore. I don't want to do Michaelis's homework by myself."

Ciel shook his head, picking up his backpack. "Sober up and figure it out on your own, Alois." Ciel went to the door, but stopped before leaving. Alois was standing there swaying, looking sad and pitiful. "…Call me later if you're still stuck."

Alois smirked, sitting back down on his bed and pulling out his phone. "…He did watch you read today, Ciel. You totally stand a chance."

"Ugh, you're the fucking worst." Ciel left Alois's room, slamming the door in frustration. As he walked down the hall, he could hear Alois laughing.

"He doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about," Ciel grumbled to himself as he left the house, walking in the direction of his own. "I'm not a whore like he is. …And he didn't _watch_ me read."

Ciel slowed, thinking back to his meeting earlier, when Michaelis had said he could read well. And he did call him in to give him his paper, even though he could have just waited until tomorrow to give it to him when the rest of the class got theirs…

_Stupid. Don't let what Alois said get to you. He's drunk anyway. You don't actually stand a chance like he said._

Ciel stopped in his tracks. "Stand a chance? Like I'd even fucking _want to!_" A cat that had been sitting on a nearby lawn started and skittered off at Ciel's sudden outburst.

He walked the rest of the way home in silence, trying to think of anything at all that wasn't any of this. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get out of his head the look of concern that Michaelis had had when he asked what had happened to Ciel.

"_He did watch you read today."_

Fuck that drunken whore.

* * *

:D Yaaaay drunk Alois. And I apologize if you aren't a fan of CielxAlois. I'm a pairingslut. And I still don't want to study, so there may be a chance of another chapter tonight. We shall see.


	5. Ciel's Eyes

So yeah. Studying didn't happen. Enjoy the fruits of my procrastination~

* * *

Sebastian hadn't felt this much like a child in years.

He was sitting in one of the chairs in the administrative office, waiting to speak with the principal. Sitting there, occasionally catching curious glances from the secretary click-clacking away behind her desk was a strange feeling that he hadn't felt since his own high school days. Decidedly, he didn't like it much.

The vice principal walked out of his office and stopped before he reached the administrative door, grinning at Sebastian. "Well, well, well, young man, what have you done this time?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I'm just here to talk to Victoria, Ash. You can keep your witty remarks to yourself.

"Uh huh. It's funny, you look just like the boys I had to talk to this morning for smoking off of the gym during lunch. Very similar expression they had, too. Are you sure you aren't here because you broke the rules, Sebastian?"

Sebastian forced a smile. "Your cleverness is awe-inspiring."

_Pompous bastard._

Ash laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Good luck, Sebastian." He walked over and leaned over to speak at Sebastian's seated level. "Try not to get yourself sent to the principal's office again, will you?" He straightened up again, laughing, letting his charisma drip off of him like oil as he left. When Sebastian looked out the window to the hallway, he saw that Ash had already stopped to talk to a couple of female students, and he had to look away before his disgust got the better of him.

Just then, the phone on the desk rang, and the secretary answered it. After a very short exchange, she cradled the phone and looked at Sebastian. "Ms. Alexan can see you now, Mr. Michaelis."

Sebastian just nodded and walked down the short hall to the principal's office. He knocked once politely before opening the door and entering. There he found Victoria seated behind her desk, looking patient, and Ciel, ripe with annoyance, sitting in one of the seats. Sebastian sat down in the other available chair and looked to Victoria, resting his hands in his lap.

"Sebastian. Ciel has informed me that you wrongfully confiscated his cellular phone after class yesterday. Is that correct?" Her voice was calm and steady, and swollen with practiced patience.

Sebastian nodded, glancing over at Ciel, who was adamantly refusing to make eye contact with him.

_It's a shame._ He thought. _His eyes are such a lovely blue._

Sebastian checked himself. What in the world had he thought that for? He hadn't even been aware that he knew what color Ciel's eyes were.

"Sebastian?"

"Oh, yes. Yes, that is correct."

"Alright. Ciel tells me that there was no real reason for the confiscation. Is that true?"

Sebastian opened his mouth to confirm, but stopped himself. As soon as he was summoned there this morning, he had decided that he would admit to the wrongful confiscation, and produce the phone immediately. That he would apologize for being out of line, and ask forgiveness both from his employer and his student.

But now, just looking at Ciel had changed his mind. The adolescent sitting next to him was brilliant, he knew that much. He was capable of writing and analysis that rivaled those he had taught at the university. From the first paper of his that he had corrected, Sebastian knew he would do whatever he had to to make sure that Ciel was able to succeed. Learning that he didn't have any plans for his future whatsoever had shocked him into anger. But looking at this boy who was throwing away the most promising potential he had ever seen someone his age possess was not what made him pause.

He had learned more in that meeting than that Ciel didn't plan on attending college. He had learned that something had happened in his life that was important enough to send him into angered confrontation with a teacher. And now, even more than he wanted Ciel to succeed, he wanted to know what had upset him at such a deep level.

And he wanted to help.

And he realized that if he gave in now, as trivial as the issue was, he'd be putting up a wall between them that he'd never be able to surmount. He would apologize, and Ciel would bitterly fall into a negative view of Sebastian that he would never get over. That their roles as student and controlling, nosy, insensitive teacher would be defined forever more. He would no longer have any chance of affecting the boy's future, and even less of one of helping him with any personal issue that was plaguing him.

"…No. It's not true. It's not true at all."

"What?" Ciel finally looked at him, anger sparking behind his eyes.

Victoria leaned back in her seat, turning a pen over in her hands. "Is that so? What, then, do you say happened?"

Sebastian shook his head. "I did confiscate his phone. It's true. But it wasn't without reason."

"Are you kidding? You only took it because you were pissed that I wasn't listening to you lecture me about something that you have no business in!" Ciel's eyes were piercing him now with anger, and Sebastian found the passion in them much preferred to the plain annoyance that thew carried earlier. Even in anger, it seemed, he preferred it when Ciel was meeting his eyes.

Sebastian pushed this strange thought from his mind and turned back to Victoria. "It's true that I didn't confiscate his phone for conventional reasons. Nor do I plan to return it to him under conventional circumstances."

"And under what _un_conventional circumstances did you take it?" She asked, looking curious.

Sebastian took only a moment to pause. If he confirmed that what Ciel said was true, then he knew that his case would hold little water. So instead, he lied.

"His performance in my class. He's failing. I gave him the option of either attending regular tutoring sessions with me, or taking a remedial English class this summer. He refused to cooperate, so I took his phone and told him I would give it back when he'd decided."

Sebastian could see out of the corner of his eye that Ciel was staring open-mouthed at him.

Victoria slowly nodded. "While your ultimatum seems reasonable enough, I fail to see how confiscating his phone was really necessary. You could have alerted me to the matter, and I could have written his aunt."

Sebastian nodded. "I'm aware. It was a bit rash, yes. But Ciel is the type of student who needs a bit more coercion."

Ciel seemed to have come out of his shock, because he turned to Victoria in indignation. "He's lying! That didn't happen! I do _not_ need tutoring, and I do _not_ need to take summer classes!"

Sebastian kept his cool well under pressure. "You can look up his grades, if you'd like. You can see that he's failing."

"Yeah, go ahead Ms. Alexan. See for yourself. I'm the only person in the whole damn class that actually aces papers." Ciel was glaring daggers through the side of Sebastian's head, but he paid them no notice.

Victoria looked between them and then turned to her computer, pulling up the grade book. She scanned the screen for a few minutes, then looked back at them. "It seems Mr. Michaelis is correct. You are failing his class."

"Th-That's impossible!" Ciel looked again to Sebastian. "You gave me my essay yesterday! It had a perfect score!"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have it with you?"

Ciel reached for his bag and stopped halfway. "…No. I threw it away."

Sebastian smiled and turned again to Victoria. "Well. If Ciel is willing to make a decision regarding what he plans to do for my class, I will be more than willing to return his phone to him, and close the matter."

Victoria looked to Ciel. "Ciel? With a grade like this, you will be facing summer classes. Mr. Michaelis has offered you the alternative of tutoring. What do you think?"

Ciel just sat there quietly fuming for a moment. "…Well, I have no intention of taking summer classes."

Sebastian grinned and stood. "Well, then. It's settled. You will meet with me three times a week after class until your grades improve. If it's alright with you Victoria, we'll be heading back to my classroom so I can return his property to him."

Victoria just nodded, already looking over at her calendar to see what her next appointment was to be.

"Excellent. Come along, Ciel." With that, Sebastian headed out of first Victoria's office and then the administration one, and down the hall, Ciel in tow.

As soon as they had made the hallway, Ciel glared up at Sebastian. "Why did you do that? What do you possibly have to gain from forcing me to take tutoring sessions?"

Sebastian shrugged, unlocking the door to his classroom. "I haven't given up on you yet, Ciel. While it's true that you don't need tutoring, you do need help making decisions about your future. And I want to advise you on this matter."

Ciel scoffed, going over to Sebastian's desk once he'd opened the classroom door, looking impatient. "I don't _need_ an advisor. And how did you make it look like I'm failing?"

Sebastian took his time going over to his desk and unlocking the drawer, taking out Ciel's phone. "That one wasn't a lie, Ciel. You are failing. I put in the scores of all of our assignments last night, and you've failed more of them than not. Your few perfect scores weren't enough to pull your grade out of the gutter." He looked up at him, smiling slightly. "And it helps that I haven't entered participation yet."

Ciel just glared back at him and held out his hand for his phone.

"Now just wait, Ciel." Sebastian sat back on the edge of his desk, still holding Ciel's phone. "I do want you to come in to see me after class during the week. And I do want to advise you. And I'll make you a deal. You do that until I'm satisfied in our progress, and I'll give you an A in the class. You refuse to come, and I'll make sure you _do_ have to come in for summer classes. Deal?"

Ciel snarled and took his phone from Sebastian's hands. "Whatever." Immediately afterward, he turned and walked briskly to the door.

"Thank you, Ciel." Sebastian went around to the other side of his desk, sitting down to prepare for his next class. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Ciel just left the room, slamming the door wordlessly behind him.

Sebastian sat there for a moment, contemplating what he'd just done. While it was true that he wanted to advise Ciel to the best of his ability, he'd be lying if he said he had no other motivation.

He kept thinking back to the hatred he'd seen earlier in Ciel's eyes, and he found himself constantly imagining those eyes in his head, the shadows of a full range of emotions passing over them. He didn't know why, but as much as he wanted to help Ciel figure out his future, he wanted also to see those blue eyes shine something other than anger or hatred.

And for some inexplicable reason, he wanted those expressions to be about _him._

* * *

I know three chapters in a day is a bit much, but this is what happens when I have schoolwork I need to do. Hope you enjoyed it, and please consider reviewing! Ash-the-vice-principal might come and creep on you in your sleep if you don't. And no one wants that. Motherfucker is creepy as fuck.


	6. Shock and Water

I was having a really hard time getting this chapter off the ground, and apparently getting tipsy was the answer to my creative challenges. And I know it's been a few days since I've uploaded a chapter, but to make up for it there're like 1000 words more than in the last chapter :) Oh, and exciting stuff happens. And stuff.

* * *

"You realize that this is an absolutely _perfect_ opportunity, don't you?" Alois reached over, taking a fry from Ciel's lunch tray.

"A perfect opportunity for what, exactly?" Ciel had just finished telling his friend about the meeting he'd had with Michaelis and the principal two days before. It had taken a good five minutes to get Alois to stop laughing about the prospect of Ciel's taking summer classes.

Alois grinned, putting a rather liberal amount of ketchup over Ciel's remaining fries. "For some ill-getting, of course."

Ciel rolled his eyes, giving up and pushing his tray over in front of Alois. "We've been over this, Alois. It's not happening. And didn't you already eat? You're going to get fat."

Alois made a face. "I am not. I'm much too attractive to get fat." He made short work of the rest of Ciel's food, stacking the empty tray on top of his own.

"I don't think it works like that, Alois. And has anyone ever told you that your ego is about the only thing bigger than your mouth?" Ciel noticed that a few girls at the next table over were watching his friend closely, and he prayed Alois wouldn't notice.

Alois grinned and leaned over to kiss Ciel's cheek. "Only you, sweetheart." Alois glanced over at the table of girls and smirked. "They don't seem to agree with you, though."

Ciel rolled his eyes again, picking up both of their trays and standing. "Come on. We have class." He walked over to the trash can and dumped what was left on their trays, stacking them on the table when he was done. He then headed off down the hall without waiting for Alois, who scrambled to catch up with him.

It had always been that way. Alois attracted the attention of everyone wherever he went, male or female. He was just so damn flirtatious. And it didn't help that he positively dripped sex appeal. Ciel tried to ignore Alois's many admirers, as they could get tiresome. He tried his best not to encourage his friend's behavior, but he knew he went to a lot of parties and met a lot of people. He tried not to think about how many people he'd probably been with, but he'd called Ciel drunk enough times to pick him up from rather seedy parts of town that it was hard to muffle his imagination. He liked to tell himself that his annoyance with Alois's explicitness was in a strictly friendly sense, but he wasn't always so sure. Not that it mattered, anyway. Alois teased him constantly, but he knew he really was just the only real friend that Alois had in the world.

"Hey. Slow the fuck down, will you?" Alois caught up with him, falling into step beside him. "What's the hurry? Besides, we could always just skip."

Ciel raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to skip history? But won't Faustus miss you if you do?"

Alois shrugged, unfazed by Ciel's picking fun at him. "Eh. I don't care. I'm over him anyway." Alois stretched his arms above his head, sighing. "It's time to move on."

"Oh? Do you have another middle-aged man in mind?" Ciel stopped outside their classroom, leaning against the wall, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Alois stopped next to him. "Oh, Ciel." He lightly tapped Ciel's cheek with his open hand, smiling at him. "Lose the judgy-face. It doesn't suit you. And since you apparently have no interest yourself, I was considering Michaelis."

Ciel felt his stomach turn over. "Wh-What?"

Alois grinned. "Now jealousy _does_ suit you, Ciel. Why? Is there a problem?"

Ciel felt his face flush slightly, which angered him. "I'm not _jealous_, Alois. You know I hate that son of a bitch for basically threatening me with summer school. So yeah, I guess it's more like fuck you for wanting to sleep with the teacher who's forcing me to stay after class."

"Sure, sure. That's fine, too. I much prefer to think that the jealousy is over _me_, and not some dried up old English teacher, anyway." Alois touched Ciel's cheek again, smirking at him. "But as much as I hate to break your heart again, I'm failing his class, and I'm out of options."

Ciel knocked Alois's hand away. "Sometimes I wonder if you even consider other options. And I'm not jealous over _either_ of you, you egotistical whore. I'd just prefer it that my best friend wasn't sleeping with that fucking guy."

Alois shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Whatever, Ciel. You know, all you have to say is that you want him and I'll back off. As much fun as it is to give you a hard time, I'm totally for the idea of you finally getting some. You really need to loosen up."

"Well I _don't_ want him. So fuck it, do whatever you want. But I should warn you, I don't think Michaelis is even the type to go for it. Not that it wouldn't be funny to watch you get dropped on your ass for once." Ciel pushed the uncomfortable squirm in his stomach back down, trying to ignore it. He didn't know why the thought of Alois sleeping with Michaelis was bothering him more than any of his other conquests, but he didn't really want to explore the feeling.

Alois laughed. "Oh, Ciel. No one ever drops me." Just then the bell rang, and people in Faustus's previous class began to file out. Once the room was empty they headed in. "Except you, maybe." He grinned at Ciel as they headed to their respective seats. Once they'd sat down he leaned into the aisle between their desks, winking as he whispered at him. "And that's only when you're sober."

Ciel did his best to ignore Alois for the rest of the class, but gave up about halfway through to ignore Faustus in favor of gossiping about the rest of the idiots in their class. Alois might be an egotistical slut, but more often than not they were the same friends they had been since they were five.

The rest of the day went by without incident. Once the final bell had rung, Ciel begrudgingly gathered up his things and headed down the hall to Michaelis's classroom. Once he got there he didn't bother knocking and went right in.

Michaelis was sitting there behind his desk, and appeared to be grading papers. Ciel felt his former anger stir up in his stomach, but mixed with something else, too. He pushed the thought from his mind, going over and pulling up a chair next to Michaelis's desk. "Okay. I'm here. Now can we get this over with?"

Michaelis raised an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly. "You're here, indeed. I'm surprised you came."

"Yeah, well, you didn't give me much of a choice." He made a point not to look at his teacher, mostly because he knew it would be easier to hold onto his anger that way. _And then there's that other feeling, too._ Ciel shook his head to clear his thoughts and sat down in the chair. Michaelis leaned back, watching him carefully.

"What?" Ciel spat, annoyed with how much his teacher seemed to be enjoying his resentment.

"Oh, nothing. So." Michaelis took out a few sheets of paper and set them down in front of him. "I want you to write me an essay on your current plans for your future."

"This is ridiculous. I get that you're pissed at me for ignoring you the other day, but making me write stupid essays isn't going to help anything." Ciel reached into his bag for a pencil, rummaging around.

"Here." Michaelis picked up a pen from his desk and held it out to him. "You can use this."

"Uh, sure. Okay." Ciel reached forward to take the pen, and when he did, his hand brushed up against Michaelis's for half a second, and he immediately dropped the pen, recoiling.

Michaelis raised his eyebrows. "Is there a problem, Ciel?" And before he could respond, he delicately took Ciel's hand in his own and set the pen in it, closing his fingers around it.

Ciel's hand twitched, as if to pull it away, but he stopped, his hand still in Michaelis's. He looked up at him, confusion clouding over his eyes. _Pull your hand back, you idiot. What in the world are you doing?_ But he didn't.

Michaelis was looking back at him steadily. Ciel tried to look away again, but the man's strong gaze held his eyes captive. "Michaelis…" He tried to make his voice sound nonchalant, but it came out more breathless than he'd intended, and he silently cursed himself for it. The warmth of Michaelis's hand felt magnified more than it should have, and he became sharply aware of the feeling of the man's skin on his own. And still, he couldn't look away.

Michaelis laughed softly and dropped his hand, pulling the stack of essays over in front of him again. "It's Sebastian, Ciel. Call me Sebastian." He picked up a pen and began reading over the first on the stack, making marks as he went.

Ciel just sat there in stunned silence for a moment, trying to absorb what had just happened. ...Had something happened? Had he just imagined it? Surely something had happened there. Hadn't it?

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you need me to remind you of your prompt?"

"I - No. I remember." Ciel felt his face flush, and he bent over the papers in front of him so Sebastian wouldn't see his blush. _Sebastian? Since when do you call him Sebastian?_

_Since he asked me to._

Ciel shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the conversation in his head. He kept telling himself that nothing had happened. That he had imagined the moment that passed between them. And part of him was satisfied with that conclusion.

But part of him wasn't.

Even as he sat there, turning every half second of their brief shared touch over in his head, every time he dared sneak a glance at Sebastian he was still focused only on the stack of papers in front of him. _He's completely ignoring me. That son of a bitch is ignoring me!_ The silence in the room taunted back at him, telling him things like _you're crazy. You're delusional. You're just like Alois, aren't you?_ Ciel managed to write a total of about six words before he couldn't take it anymore.

Ciel threw down his pen a little more harshly than he'd meant to. "Will you fucking _say _something?"

Sebastian finally looked up at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Ciel opened his mouth to say something, but found no words there. He realized that anything he said would either sound too childish or too insane. So what he said instead was really nothing like the questions swelling up in his chest. "Aloisisgoingtotrytosleepwithyouforbettergrades." His words came out in one sputtered string of syllables.

Sebastian just looked at him blankly. "…I beg your pardon?"

Ciel huffed a little, feeling his face color again. "…Alois. He's going to try to sleep with you for better grades." He'd come up with something completely random and unrelated and he _still_ felt childish and crazy. And what in the world did Alois have to do with any of this? Why in hell did he say that at all?

"_Now jealousy does suit you, Ciel."_

Sebastian raised his eyebrows again, setting down his pen and leaning back in his chair. "…Oh?"

"…Yes. He's done it before. He's sleeping with Faustus. Well, he was, but now he says he wants to move on and it was going to be you but he thinks I - " Ciel stopped himself, biting his tongue to stop its mutinous slithering. He didn't even know what he was saying anymore. He was just talking. He just didn't want to think about the strange conflicting feelings fluttering and dancing in his stomach.

Sebastian was just watching him, grinning ever so slightly. "…I see. And why are you telling me this?"

"I…" Ciel trailed off, and as he looked back at Sebastian, the fluttering in his stomach turned to anger in his chest. He was just sitting there. _Smiling_. Looking so fucking _smug_. Couldn't he tell that something was happening to him? Couldn't he tell that he was experiencing feelings that he didn't even understand?

Ciel's anger began to bubble over as he thought about everything strange that had happened lately. About being called out on not ever doing his classwork. About Alois getting drunk and pretending he cared about Ciel as more than their friendship called for. About being expected to think about his fucking future. About being forced to _feel_ things he didn't understand. For some reason, it all felt like Sebastian's fault. And all this son of a bitch had to fucking say was 'why are you telling me this.'

"Why am I even fucking here? Why couldn't you just settle for taking my phone? Why did you _lie_ to the principal? Why do you care so god damn much what I do after I graduate? Why did you make my class read fucking Hamlet? Why do you watch me read? Why don't you care more that Alois wants to sleep with you? And _why the fuck did you hold my hand?_" Ciel just sat there for a moment after his outburst, breathing somewhat heavily, feeling the waters of anger cool to confusion and something like desperation, and his voiced became quiet. "…Why did you hold my hand?"

Sebastian just looked at him carefully for a moment before responding. "…Have you ever thought of how many lives would have been spared if Hamlet hadn't asked so many questions? If he'd just gone with his instinct and acted right away?"

Ciel just stared back at him. He'd just spoken to him in such an embarrassingly personal way that he was already feeling shame well up inside him and all this fucking guy could do was ask about fucking _Hamlet?_ "What the hell do you - "

But before he could utter the rest of his sentence, Sebastian had leaned forward, closing the space between them. Before Ciel could even fully register what was happening, he felt Sebastian's hand on his cheek, and then the warmth and pressure of his lips on his own.

Ciel stopped breathing. He stopped thinking. He could have sworn his heart itself had stopped, the rushing of his blood frozen in time with everything to the ticks of the clock. Time could have stopped, though he hardly would have noticed. In that moment, all he was aware of was that he was kissing him. Sebastian was kissing him. He felt Sebastian smile against his lips, and if Ciel's heart could still have moved, it would have dropped. _Sebastian was kissing him._

And then it was over.

Sebastian pulled back, settling back into his seat and returning his attention to the papers in front of him. "You're free to go."

Ciel just stared at him, the shock of what had just happened slowly wearing off. "Wh-What?"

Sebastian didn't even look up. "It's Friday, Ciel. I won't keep you any longer. You can finish the essay next time. See you on Monday."

Once he'd thawed out enough to move, he stood, managing with trouble to push his chair back to where it belonged. "S-See you," was all he managed before he grabbed his bag and quickly left the room.

He walked down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him. In his haste he knocked over a garbage can and nearly fell, but he barely noticed. His head was swimming with all of his thoughts, feelings, and sensations from the last few minutes, and they were threatening to drown him. He exited the school and headed off down the street, hardly noticing or caring where he was going. He ended up in the park near his house, and he finally stopped once he'd come up under a large maple tree there.

He leaned up against the tree, slowing his ragged breath before sliding down to sit on the slightly dampened grass. After sitting there with nothing but his own silence for a few minutes, he felt shame flood into him again, tempered with confusion.

What had just happened? _Why_ had it happened? What was he supposed to do now? The more questions he tried to answer for himself, the more that sprang up in their wake. More because he couldn't bear the silence than anything, he pulled out his phone and called Alois before he could talk himself out of it.

"Yeah?" Alois sounded bored, and like he was eating something.

Ciel was silent for a moment, waiting for his voice to return itself to him.

"Ciel?"

"…He kissed me." Once he'd found his voice again it was quiet, wrapped up in something that sounded too much like helplessness.

"What?" Ciel could hear the interest pique in his friend's voice. "Who? Who kissed you? You did say 'he,' right? Ciel, what happened?"

"…Sebastian. Sebastian kissed me."

"Sebastian? Wait… Do you mean _Michaelis?_" The awe and disbelief in Alois's voice turned Ciel's stomach over.

"Yes."

Alois said more after that. It was nothing more than a flurry of excited words and phrases that Ciel didn't hear. At some point he hung up on him. He hadn't really wanted much to talk to Alois. He'd just needed to _tell _someone. And he had no one else to tell.

Ciel stayed there at the park until the sun began to dip beneath the line of the trees. It wasn't until dusk began to kiss the sky a deep purple that he raised himself on his weakened legs to walk the rest of the way home. Once he got there he went straight to his room and threw himself onto his bed without bothering to change. His phone was alive with texts and missed calls from Alois, but he ignored them.

It only took him about five minutes after his head hit the pillow to slip into sleep. And as he did so the same singular thought was playing itself over and over in his head. But no matter how many times it did, he wasn't able to untangle the mess of thoughts and feelings that had wrapped themselves around the words like spider web strands.

_He kissed me._

_Sebastian kissed me._

* * *

I've noticed that like 98% of what I write is focused on posture and the movement of eyebrows. But that's okay because it's the weekend and I do what I want. Also you're all wonderful, beautiful human beings. A real credit to your race. Thanks to those of you reviewing :)


	7. Not Like You

I apologize for the wait! I was stuck for a long time on how to start this, but then I had a wonderful epiphany a few days ago while working in the library. I got really excited and I think the books were judging me.

* * *

The moment the door closed behind Ciel, Sebastian let out the breath he'd been holding since their lips had parted, putting his head in his hands. The room felt degrees warmer than it had only minutes before, and he felt a thin layer of sweat beneath his palms.

What in the world had he just done? He'd kissed a student. Right there. In his own classroom. He'd kissed Ciel Phantomhive.

_I kissed Ciel Phantomhive._

Sebastian stood because he could no longer stand sitting. He made a few paces across the room, only to double back to his desk. This wasn't something that he could just let brew in his head all on its own like this. He had to _do_ something. He had to_ talk_ to someone. It would drive him crazy if he didn't.

But who? Who could he tell that he'd just kissed a stu-

_Claude._

Sebastian hurried to gather up his things, dropping an entire stack of papers in his haste. The loose pages fluttered out of his hands like so many released butterflies, floating down to litter the gouged tile floor. Sebastian stared at them for a moment, weighing only briefly the time it would take to gather them up against the likelihood that Claude had already left for the day, and opted to leave them there.

Nearly forgetting to lock the classroom door behind him, he walked as quickly down the hall to Claude's classroom as he could without running. He knocked once, and when there was no response he tried the knob, which rattled locked. An irrational feeling a lot like panic began to rise in his chest, and he fought it back as best he could on the way to the staff lounge. He marveled briefly at how he had managed to keep his cool so well in front of Ciel. While he knew that he hadn't broken a sweat when he'd kissed the boy, he had felt sure that the moment their lips touched that the younger would pull away to call him out on the wild beating of his heart. While externally he showed that he held all of the control in that moment, the slightest resistance from Ciel, he knew, would have sent him off down a spiral of rejection he didn't dare ponder.

Sebastian took a moment at the staff lounge door to collect himself. He ran a hand through his dark hair and straightened his jacket. He was determined not to let the slightest thing betray his collected exterior, and the smallest sign of dishevel was his enemy. After he was confident that he looked his usual cool self, he turned the knob and entered the room.

The staff lounge was a generously sized rectangular room at the center of the school. There was a kitchenette in the corner where the staff prepared their thin, watery coffee (topped off with varied amounts of slipped drink) that would allow the tired, underpaid teachers to get through another day. There were a couple of tables near the kitchenette where they ate their lunches and gossiped with each other about the gossip that the high schoolers gossiped about. At the opposite side of the room were a couple of couches where teachers would pretend not to sleep while they were pretending to spend their break periods doing something constructive. But when Sebastian walked in, there wasn't anyone sleeping on the couches. Instead there was his colleague Claude Faustus, who taught a history class that, out of the norm of his coworkers, didn't stoop to toe the line of mediocrity.

Claude was lounging relaxed, his head rested on one of the armrests as he looked up into the book in his hands, a glass of red wine sitting inoffensively on the floor next to him. As Sebastian watched him, he turned the page of his book lazily. "Hello, Sebastian."

Sebastian frowned, walking over and sitting on the other couch. "Claude." Sebastian picked up the wine glass and took a generous sip from it. "What are you still doing here?"

"Hunting elephants." He glanced at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye, not setting down his book. "I'm reading, Sebastian. Clearly. What are _you_ still doing here?"

Sebastian licked the sheen of wine from his lips, tasting its sweetness and comparing it to that which they'd tasted back in his office. "I was meeting with a student."

"Mm." Claude looked back to his book, clearly unimpressed. Sebastian appreciated working with Claude because he was one of the few others that taught at the school that had any real level of intelligence, though he found that he let it go to his head considerably more than anyone else he knew. Generally speaking, he was actually a rather unpleasant man, albeit a good teacher.

Sebastian let the silence hang for a moment before throwing the only loop he had at him, hoping to get his attention. "…I hear you're sleeping with Alois Trancy." Sebastian glanced over at him, waiting for a reaction.

Claude finished his sentence before quietly closing his book and sitting up, looking at him carefully. "…Indeed." He set down the book and took a drink from the glass. "And?"

"And…" Sebastian wet his lips again, trying to find a way to wind his words together in a way that didn't betray his calm. Claude clearly wasn't perturbed that Sebastian knew about his relations with the Trancy boy, so there was really little he could say about it. Whether he liked it or not, he needed to broach the actual subject. Claude might be an arrogant asshole, but he was the only person he knew who might have some idea as to what to do in this situation. But when he opened his mouth to relay the story, Ciel's name caught in his throat, its warmth and pervading sweetness spreading up the back of his throat and effectively muting him.

Claude must have seen something in his face that Sebastian couldn't hide, because a slight smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth. "…I see. So I'm not the only one. Who is it?"

Sebastian cleared his throat to unstick Ciel's name from its hold there, his voice slightly graveled with the glue that held his unruly emotions together. "Ciel Phantomhive. Alois's friend."

"Mm. Interesting." Claude leaned back on the couch, swirling the wine around in the glass. "I wouldn't have thought it of you, really. Him, on the other hand, I believe. Thankfully he's of age. His family has the money to strip you of everything you own in a lawsuit." Claude grinned and took a sip of wine. "Though the taboo really is part of the draw, isn't it?"

Sebastian felt himself color ever so slightly. "It's nothing like that, you idiot. I only kissed him. I'm not like you."

Claude raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh? And what is it that I'm like?"

Sebastian shook his head and looked away. He wasn't sure why he'd thought this would be a good idea. Sure, Claude was the only other person he knew to have had any kind of relations with a student, but clearly their cases were very different. Alois had slept with Claude for his grades (and quite possibly bragging rights), and Claude had slept with Alois because it was a kink. Sebastian wasn't like that.

So… why _had_ he done it? He hadn't had any thoughts of actually having sex with Ciel, for sure. It wasn't like that was his ultimate goal. And it didn't feel… exploitative. So why?

_Because you wanted to._

Okay. Fine. He'd admit to that now. But why did he _want_ to? He'd be lying if he said that he didn't find Ciel attractive. Frankly, he was one of the most beautiful people he'd ever laid eyes on. And he'd never hesitate to say he was intelligent. Creative. Talented. But all these things aside, he liked to think he had more control than to act on these attractions. Partially for his job's sake (not that it was much to fight for), and partially for Ciel's. Of course being kissed by a teacher, a man much older than yourself, would be an uncomfortable experience. By every right, he should have been certain that Ciel was going to pull away in disgust.

But he didn't. And he hadn't been. When he kissed him, there was a part of Sebastian's confidence didn't waver for a second. Part of him knew that the kiss would immobilize Ciel. Did he… Did he really think that Ciel might actually be attracted to him, too? Or was he banking on the fact that he'd be too shocked to react negatively?

_Maybe…_

"Sebastian?"

"Hm?" Sebastian looked up, pulled from his musings by Claude's amused drawl.

"Preoccupied?" He smirked, clearly enjoying everything about the moment.

Sebastian sneered, deciding that coming to him had been a mistake. Claude was as much of an asshole as he remembered, and he couldn't help him anyway. "Never mind." He stood up, feeling an anger course through his veins that wasn't entirely justified. "Oh, and you'll want to find a new toy. Alois Trancy is done using you." He quickly left the room, knocking over the wine glass as he went and not feeling bad for it in the slightest.

Sbastian started down tha hall, letting the door slam shut behind him. He wasn't sure why he'd told Claude that Alois wasn't going to sleep with him anymore. Ciel had said it earlier, but he had no way of knowing if it was really true. But he liked the idea of upsetting Claude too much not to. He also wasn't certain why in a moment he had begun to despise Claude so completely. Perhaps it was the way he had inferred that he treated his relationship with Alois. Even though the Trancy boy wasn't the best kid in the school, he was still just that. A kid. And whether he consented to their acts or not, Claude was exactly the type of person to exploit a student, and it made Sebastian sick.

_It won't be like that with Ciel._

Sebastian stopped in the middle of the hallway. What made him think there would even be the _opportunity_ for it to be like that with Ciel? He was probably shocked and disgusted right now. He'd show up at Victoria's office on Monday making accusations against Sebastian of sexual harassment, and he'd be right.

Sebastian started down the hall again, and exited the building to his car. On his way back to his apartment, he imagined the scene as it would unfold. Ciel, distressed and uncomfortable and maybe a little bit frightened, telling Victoria how Sebastian had advanced on him. He would probably accuse him of setting up the tutoring bit all with this sort of end in mind. Victoria would be shocked, staring at Sebastian in disbelief, hoping he would deny it. And he wouldn't. He'd accept his dismissal and perhaps his arrest calmly and quietly.

He was probably being a bit dramatic. He didn't think he would really be arrested just for kissing someone. But it wouldn't matter to him if he did. He couldn't deny the fact to himself any longer. He cared about Ciel, and if he had to see him as distressed as he was imagining him as the result of his actions… Well, he'd deserve any sanctions imposed on him anyway.

Once he got back to his apartment he went inside and straight to the kitchen. He took a glass from the cupboard and a bottle from the pantry, and went into the living room. He got a folder of essays to grade out of his bag and tried to read through the same paper four times (while he nursed his first two glasses of bourbon) before giving up on the pretense and turning on the television. He watched a good twenty minutes of something he didn't see until he gave up on that too and shut it off. After he'd finished another drink, he made himself a bowl of soup that could have tasted of grapefruit for all he noticed, and he ate in silence before returning to his spot on the couch.

The rest of his evening consisted of more failed attempts at keeping himself occupied and successful ones at finishing each drink. Eventually he fell asleep there, on the couch, images of Ciel's face after he had broken their kiss floating between those of Claude's smug expression.

He probably dreamed, but he didn't remember it when he was awoken sometime in the middle of the night. He opened his eyes and squinted at the ceiling, trying to figure out of he'd imagined whatever sound had awoken him. It had begun to rain sometime in the night, and there was silence but for the soft sounds of water on the walk outside. He was just beginning to think it was nothing more than the rain that had pulled him from his slumber when the sound came again, and he realized that it was a knock at his door.

He looked at his watch. 3:35. Who would be calling at three-thirty in the morning? He sat up, scowling at the dull ache in his head. He laboriously brought himself to his feet and over to the front door of his apartment, staggering only slightly. He squinted through the peephole, but it was too dark and wet to make out the shape standing on the other side of it. With a tired grumble he opened the door.

The moment he did, he felt his heart skip a beat. He could feel his stomach turn over, and he instantly regretted the amount of bourbon that turned with it. He stood there, stalk still, for a good twenty seconds before he was shaken from his shock.

"Um… hi. Can I come in?"

Sebastian just stared for a moment more. For standing there outside his door, dripping wet and shivering slightly, was Ciel Phantomhive.

* * *

Thank you once again to those of you kind souls who have reviewed. You should know that I resisted being a pairingslut again with Claude and Sebastian earlier. You should be proud of me.


	8. Game of Questions

I know it's kind of late again, and I really have no excuse other than that I had to finish a video game. BUT I think this will make up for it ;)

* * *

Ciel had never seen someone as taken off guard as Sebastian looked now. He was staring at him through the doorway like a deer in headlights.

Ciel shifted his weight a little, very aware of just how drenched he was. The distance between his house and Sebastian's apartment wasn't a short one, and he hadn't bothered to grab an umbrella. It hadn't taken more than a few blocks before the water had soaked through his light jacket completely. He could feel his night shirt sticking to his skin, and the general wetness was growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"Um… hi. Can I come in?" Ciel tried to make his voice sound confident and nonchalant, but he was afraid it sounded as nervous as he actually felt.

When Ciel had woken up in the middle of the night he'd felt a strange restlessness that he couldn't shake. He'd resisted the urge to call Alois because he knew it wouldn't help anyway. His sleep had been broken by odd dreams that ranged the entire spectrum of motivations that Ciel imagined could have driven Sebastian to do what he'd done. There had been some wherein his teacher plotted to get Ciel kicked out of school in some strange sexual harassment case, and others where it was part of some convoluted blackmail scheme. And then there were those where they were to become tragic forbidden lovers, and one even stranger where Ciel managed to become pregnant with triplets. When the storm had finally awoken him, he'd become so obsessed with the questions rushing around his head in uncontrollable tide pools that he couldn't stand it any longer. He knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he had answers, and there was only one person who could provide them.

Ciel cleared his throat somewhat loudly when Sebastian did nothing but stare back at him blankly. He's started to shiver, and he was afraid that if Sebastian noticed he'd appear pitiful.

"Oh, uh, yes. Of course. Come in." Sebastian stepped back to let him into the room.

"…Thanks." Ciel hesitantly crossed the threshold, trying not to shiver so obviously. The room he walked into was clean and inviting enough, and he instantly felt more comfortable than he had out in the storm.

Sebastian shut the door behind him, going over to where Ciel was standing. He gently touched Ciel's shoulder and frowned deeply at its wetness. "You're soaked." Without a word he unzipped Ciel's jacket and slipped it off his shoulders and over his arm. The moment Sebastian touched him, Ciel felt a shiver run through him that had nothing to do with the cold. "You'll catch your death like that." He carried the jacket over to the coat rack by the door and hung it up on one of the hooks.

Ciel hugged himself a little, shivering slightly more prominently. Without his jacket, he became aware of just how unprepared he'd been to leave the house. All he wore was his night shirt and shorts, both of which were damp or soaked through. He walked over to the large, cushioned couch by the window but hesitated to sit on it, realizing he would probably get that wet, too.

Sebastian chucked slightly as he walked over. "Don't worry about the couch. But we really should get you dried off." Sebastian reached down gently touched Ciel's dripping hair. "I'll get you a towel." Sebastian headed casually into the kitchen, leaving Ciel there to sit down on the couch.

Ciel leaned back against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He wished he'd stop _doing_ that. Touching him like that. In those small, innocent ways that made his stomach turn over and his heart flutter in his chest.

Ciel sighed. _Like you really want him to stop._ The voice in his head was Alois's, which didn't make it any easier to ignore. He knew exactly what Alois would be telling him to do right now, and it was taking everything he had to argue with his friend's imagined words.

_He let you in, didn't he? It's the middle of the fucking night, Ciel. You showed up at his door at three in the morning barely wearing anything on the night after you kissed. What do you think is going through his head? __**And he let you in.**__ You don't have to be a fucking genius to guess what he's thinking. Don't pretend you don't want it._

Ciel groaned and covered his face with his hands. As sure as he could hear his friend's voice he could see his smirk. Feel his breath against the side of his face as he whispered in his ear. Smell the sour hint of alcohol on his breath. He wasn't sure why the imaginary Alois in his head was always a bit tipsy, but- no. Actually, he knew. That was a silly question.

When Sebastian walked back into the room he carried both a small towel and a cup of tea, which he set down on the beveled glass coffee table in front of him. He then knelt down in front of Ciel, gently tousling his hair in the towel. "You're positively soaked. Here, drink this tea. It'll warm you up." He then stood again, leaving the towel around his shoulders. "I'm going to find you something dry to change into. That can't be comfortable." And before Ciel could get even a word in, Sebastian was off again, disappearing into the depths of the hall.

Ciel just sat there holding onto the towel for a second. What was going on? Why was he even here? And why hadn't Sebastian asked him that yet? He was kind of glad he hadn't, because he wasn't sure what he'd tell him.

"_You kissed me yesterday and I can't stop thinking about it and I need you to tell me why you did it so I can stop dreaming about it and I think I might actually have a crush on you which is bad because you're my teacher and I don't know what to do and it's really wet outside."_

Oh yes. Ciel Phantomhive, master of eloquence, strikes again. That would go over perfectly.

Ciel groaned again. This was a mistake. It was a horrible idea. It could only end badly. He set down the towel on the table in favor of the cup of tea. It was still steaming, and when he brought it to his lips, warm wisps of fragrance curled up unto his face. He thought _Earl Grey_ before the taste touched his tongue.

When Sebastian again entered the room, he had a clothes in his arms. He stopped just short of the couch, watching him sip his tea for a moment before speaking. "It'll be much too big for you, I'm sure, but I found something for you to change into."

Ciel nodded, putting down the cup again. "Uh… thanks." He took the clothes from Sebastian, but just held them in his lap for a moment, looking everywhere but at the man in front of him. He was dreading Sebastian's question before it even left his lips.

"So…" Sebastian sat down next to him on the couch. "Why exactly are you here, Ciel?"

Ciel sneaked a glance up at Sebastian's face, quickly searching his eyes for any trace of feeling or expectation. The man had been obnoxiously calm and unreadable since he'd let Ciel into the apartment, and it was infuriating. He wasn't giving him the slightest platform from which to begin any kind of explanation. If he'd just act angry or annoyed and happy to see him, hell, even _surprise_ would give him something. But he was just sitting there, resting peacefully in undisturbed patience.

"I… was confused," Ciel stammered, feeling the stupidity of the sentence even as it left his mouth. _Confused? Is that really the best you can do? You showed up at his fucking apartment, and the best excuse you have is that you were __**confused?**__ You're hopeless, Ciel._ Alois's voice bit at him from the back of his head.

"…I see." Sebastian raised his eyebrows slightly, studying him. "And about what, exactly, are you confused?"

_About what am I confused? _A whole laundry list of things Ciel was confused about poured into his head. He was confused about why Sebastian had forced him to meet with him after class. He was confused about why he was so interested in him and his future. He was confused about why when Alois had expressed wanting to sleep with Sebastian he'd gotten so flustered. He was confused about what all of the things he felt for his friend even were. He was confused about why every fucking time Sebastian touched him he felt the tickle of butterfly wings in his chest and the back of his throat. He was confused about why he thought it was a good fucking idea to get out of bed in the middle of the night and walk through the rain to his English teacher's apartment because he thought that he might have some kind of sexual or romantic interest in him. _So you know what, Sebastian, I am pretty fucking confused._

These were the things Ciel was thinking, but all he said was this: "…Why did you kiss me?"

The silence that followed his question extended even into Ciel's head, and even Alois had nothing to say. Ciel's eyes had been drawn back up to Sebastian uncontrollably, and he just looked at him as the man stared back in silence. Ciel felt panic rise in his chest even as Sebastian looked on emotionlessly, still unreadable as a stone wall.

After what seemed like an unbearably long time, Sebastian cleared his throat slightly and answered him. "Why do you think?"

When the panic in his chest boiled over it turned to anger. He was sick and tired of this game of questions, and humiliation and shame were fighting for dominance in his head. Seeing Sebastian sitting there, unfeeling, as Ciel battled with emotions he couldn't even start to understand infuriated him. As he stared back at Ciel, seeming unmoved by his turmoil, he felt shame burn hotter with his anger, and he became certain that Sebastian was toying with him. He thought it was all a game, didn't he? He thought it was _funny_ to watch him squirm around in the binds of feelings that were foreign to him. He probably got off on some power trip watching him drown helplessly in worry and confusion. Savored the feeling of _control_ he must be getting from holding Ciel's emotions in his hand like some fragile glass figurine. He felt humiliated, used, ashamed, and confused, and his shivering had turned to shaking as he fought to house these hot, untamable feelings.

When he spoke, Ciel's voice rose with his anger, his throat scratching with the ash of the fires in his stomach. "I don't know _what_ to fucking think you manipulative son of a _bitch!"_ With Ciel's outburst came an uncontrollable jerk of his hands, causing him to splash the hot tea he was still holding onto his stomach. He felt the tea soak through his shirt and the rainwater, and it burned in a more real way than the white-hot hatred that was growing in his chest for the man before him. Ciel cried out in pain, dropping the cup onto the floor, where it gave a dull _thunk_ against the cushion of the carpet.

Sebastian started, reflexively reaching forward and putting his hand over where Ciel felt the burn of the tea on his skin. Ciel reacted instantly, knocking Sebastian's hand away, hissing at him. "Don't _touch_ me!" His skin stung to the touch, and the thought of Sebastian's hand on him made him burn with shame.

"Ciel-" Sebastian began, looking concerned. He reached forward and began to pull up his shirt to expose the burn, presumably to inspect it.

"I said _don't touch me!"_ He moved to push his hand away again, but this time Sebastian was ready for it, and he caught Ciel's wrist with his other hand.

"I need to look at the burn to see how bad it is. That tea had just been boiling." Sebastian's voice was level. Ciel watched as his shirt was pulled up slightly, his wrist twitching in Sebastian's hand.

The skin was an angry red where the tea had touched it. Sebastian lightly touched the skin around the burn and Ciel felt branches of electricity spark out beneath his fingertips when they made contact with the skin. The pleasantness of Sebastian's touch conflicted with the anger he was still feeling, and he struggled to pull his wrist from Sebastian's grasp. "Let me go!"

Sebastian sighed in frustration, seeming impatient with Ciel's random fit of overreaction. "Ciel, please, I'm just trying to-"

But Ciel snarled at him, not giving him the chance to finish his sentence. He was confused and cold and wet and the burn on his stomach hurt, and he didn't know why his body was reacting like he didn't hate Sebastian when he _knew_ that he did. "Get off of me. Stop fucking _touching_ me, you-"

But Ciel didn't get the chance to finish. Before the contrived and hateful words had left his mouth he was silenced once again by the pressure of Sebastian's lips on his own. He had leaned forward to kiss him mid-sentence. At first Ciel seized up in shock and resistance. He made to pull away, but Sebastian leaned into the kiss. It was more forceful than before, and he felt his resolve to resist whither away almost instantly.

The moment Ciel had relaxed, Sebastian reached up to tangle his hand in Ciel's hair, his other releasing Ciel's wrist to wrap around his waist. Ciel suddenly became very aware of just how much bigger than him Sebastian was, and how much _stronger_. He pulled Ciel to his chest with a steady power that only intimidated Ciel enough to send sparks down his spine.

The moment Ciel let his guard down enough that his lips parted even slightly, Sebastian pushed his tongue between them, deepening their kiss as he leaned over Ciel, pushing him onto his back.

Ciel felt the flames that licked up the walls of his stomach change, their warmth setting ablaze the wings of butterflies that fluttered around in his chest. He felt his heart rate increase, the blood that rushed through his veins throbbing with the same fire. He began to feel dizzy, and he became vaguely aware that he must have forgotten how to breathe.

When Sebastian pulled away slightly, breaking their kiss, the cold air that rushed in between them made Ciel shiver. He stared up into Sebastian's face, the haze of dizziness not lessening the sharpness of the gaze that bore back into him.

When Sebastian spoke, his voice was low and careful. "That's what I meant."

Ciel blinked a few times, waiting for his voice to come back to him. "Wh-What?"

Sebastian ran a hand gently through Ciel's hair, chuckling quietly to himself. "When you asked me why I kissed you. I think I meant something like that."

Ciel struggled to clear his head enough to remember what their conversation had been, but his memories of everything before their kiss was a bit hazy. All that was really clear to him just then was the pulse of his body and the clarity of Sebastian's gaze. "O-Oh," was all he managed.

Sebastian smirked slightly, sitting up. He pulled Ciel up with him, but then let him go, leaning to pick up the tea cup from the floor. "I'll give you some privacy to change. I'll throw your wet clothes into the dryer. They should be fine by morning." Sebastian stood, carrying the cup into the kitchen.

Ciel just sat there for a moment, working through the haze the kiss had left him in. His brain was moving a little slower than usual, and it took a few minutes for the gears in his head to click into place. "Tomorrow?" He croaked, his throat raw from yelling at Sebastian earlier.

After a moment Sebastian emerged from the kitchen, leaning in the doorway. "Yes, tomorrow. It's late, and I don't think you should walk back out in the storm. You're welcome to stay here until morning."

Ciel nodded a little. "…Where?"

Sebastian shrugged slightly. "You can sleep on the couch if it's most comfortable for you, but it's wet now from the rain water." Sebastian smirked slightly as he headed off down the hall. "So you're welcome to come back to my room."

Ciel felt his face flush scarlet and he looked away, even though Sebastian had left. Once he heard Sebastian's bedroom door close and he was sure he was gone, carefully unbuttoned his night shirt, peeling it from his still-wet skin. After he'd removed his shorts as well, he folded them up and set them on the table before picking up the clothes Sebastian had left them. He felt his blush deepen when he realized that all that there was was a large shirt of Sebastian's. He tried to let himself get angry about it, but the shirt was dry, and he was shivering again. He pulled the shirt on and buttoned it up, feeling glad that the shirt was large enough that it fell halfway down his thighs to his knees. He considered putting on his shorts again, but they were too wet to justify. He took careful time to button the shirt perfectly, trying not to think about the decision in front of him.

He reached down and touched the couch, which was now considerably damp. It was wet with the rainwater that had come off of him as well as with some of the tea that had spilled onto it.

_Oh come on, Ciel. It's not like you have to worry that he's not interested anymore. All that's left is your own cowardice. You're afraid of what will happen if you go into that room. But you're excited too, aren't you? Don't pretend you don't like it._

Alois's voice snaked through his head with all the pervasion of an insidious poison. He could feel the truth of the words seep into his mind, and he knew he couldn't deny it. His spine was already itching with the need to feel again the electricity that their kiss had sent through it, and he couldn't ignore it any more than he could the disquiet of his pulse. His heart had only just begun to settle in his chest, and he already felt for the absence of its frantic, drum-like thump.

Swallowing his insecurities, Ciel stood and quickly walked across the room and down the hall. He stopped at the end where the only closed door stood looking at him intimidatingly. He took a few evening breaths before taking the cold metal knob in his hand and turning it. The moment he did, he knew he was stepping off the safe landing of a mountain peak onto a slick and slippery slope, starting into something he knew he would be powerless to stop.

The action already in motion, he pushed the door forward and crossed the threshold into the room, pulling it shut behind him.

* * *

I know I'm still kind of teasing you, and I'm almost sorry. But I debated a long time with myself about whose perspective I wanted the scene to follow to be from, and I decided I'd been giving all of the excitment to Ciel lately (mostly because he's a lot easier to write). But anyway, there hopefully won't be so long an interim this time. As per usual, reviews are always appreciated :)


	9. The Drums in My Symphony

I know. I know. It's been like. Months. But someone put it well when they said that life had put the story on hiatus. But I punched life in the face, so that shouldn't be a problem anymore. And I'm working on chapter 10 as we speak, so you shouldn't have to wait too long for that :) I'm not sure that this is worth such a painfully long wait, but I'm thinking it should come pretty damn close ;) It's always a good day when you earn your mature rating... Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

Sebastian was staring at his reflection in his bathroom mirror when he heard the bedroom door open. It had taken three or four good splashes of cold water to his face to calm the mad rush of thoughts and emotions that were scurrying around beneath his perfectly composed expression.

He knew that he ought to go out into the bedroom to meet Ciel, but he wasn't ready yet. He needed another minute to fully wrap his mind around the reality of what he'd started.

When Ciel had first arrived on his doorstep earlier that night, Sebastian had frozen up. But once he'd thawed out enough to plaster a layer of coolness onto his features, he had made every excuse he could to get out of the living room where the boy had been sitting. He'd made a fuss of getting him towels and tea and clothes, taking every moment he could to steal away on his own to try and sort through the conflicting thoughts, emotions, and motivations swimming around in his mind and making his head spin. But every time he'd gotten away, they'd just spun around ever faster in his head, dizzying him uncontrollably. It was only when he'd re-enter the room that his thoughts would still and time would freeze again. But then that utter stillness would nearly drive him mad, and he'd be forced to leave again.

When he'd finally asked Ciel why he had come, his question had boomeranged back at him as a question of Ciel's; he'd asked Sebastian why he'd kissed him.

Of course he didn't have an answer for that one. No, that was wrong. He _did_ have an answer. It just wasn't one that he'd been ready to articulate yet. So he'd been vague with insinuation. But that had backfired on him, too. He had watched Ciel's whole demeanor change in front of him from a confused (and maybe slightly frightened) child to one pivoted by anger and hatred who recoiled from his touch. While Sebastian wouldn't pretend that he had any real clue what had gone through Ciel's head in that moment, he'd smelt something that rang of shame, and it twisted the knife he'd driven into his own stomach when he'd feigned nonchalance.

So what did he do? He kissed him again. And he didn't just kiss him. _He kissed him_.

Sebastian splashed water on his face again to wash away the heat he again felt there. It had been a rash and impulsive thing, he knew. And by every right, Ciel should have slapped him. Part of him had actually expected him to. But instead he'd succumbed to the kiss almost instantly. Sebastian hadn't planned on pushing the kiss as far as he had, but the moment Ciel reacted the way he had he couldn't control himself. It had taken every ounce of control he had to pull away and stop it from going any further. It was only the coolness that he forced into his expression and manner that had stopped him from giving into a passion he was learning was harder to control than he'd thought.

_And now he's in your bedroom._

Sebastian looked desperately up into his reflection, as if hoping he could find something that would give him answers to the questions that were now seeping into his mind. He wasn't afraid that Ciel would resist him anymore. If their kiss had told him anything, it was that Ciel could be bent at the slightest touch should he choose to do so. But what that really meant, he was now realizing, was that if he didn't exact the utmost care to control himself, Ciel wouldn't stop him. A simple kiss had gotten Ciel on his back, and at nothing more than the suggestion he'd opened his bedroom door. Sebastian wasn't positive to what kind of extent Ciel was expecting this invitation to take them, but if he wasn't careful, it would go right where Sebastian wanted it to. And while Claude had assured him that a lawsuit wasn't particularly likely, he was much more concerned with the thought of putting Ciel in a compromised position.

_Liar. Compromised is precisely where you want him._

Sebastian snorted and tossed aside the towel he'd used to dry his face. Who was he kidding?

Sebastian heard movement on the other side of the door, and he knew he couldn't stall for any longer. He took one last look at his reflection, running his hands through his hair to smooth it into place, then he took a deep breath and pushed the bathroom door open.

The sight of Ciel standing there in nothing but Sebastian's shirt buttoned around him, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the rain swept window was enough to catch the breath in Sebastian's throat for a moment. While there was usually an air of arrogance and careful control that hung around the Phantomhive boy, now he looked so… vulnerable. Fragile. …Beautiful. The image stirred the shiver in him brought out only by the chill of treading in the taboo waters he's favored recently. It unearthed urges in his gut that hadn't turned in him so strongly in years. The sight of the boy in front of him was everything he knew he shouldn't want and everything he knew he shouldn't feel. And it was absolutely breathtaking.

Ciel shifted his weight between his feet, looking a little nervous and uncomfortable. Sebastian could see there was a faint halo of anger still hanging over him, but it seemed internally directed, and overshadowed by his childlike apprehension. The conflict of emotions brought a slight smile to Sebastian's face, and for some reason seeing that Ciel was really as nervous about the situation as he was (though for different reasons) set him a little more at ease.

Sebastian walked over to Ciel and gently rested a hand on his waist, hoping his smile came off as casually as he'd intended. "You came."

Ciel froze at his initial touch, then made a face, walking past him to sit on the edge of the bed. "The couch was wet."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, following him. "I see." He sat down on the bed next to him, instantly wrapping an arm around Ciel's waist and pulling him closer. "I have a spare room, you know. You passed it on your way here. You could sleep there, if you'd like."

Ciel looked away, color blossoming across his cheekbones. Sebastian chuckled slightly, leaning in to ever so gently kiss his neck. Ciel was silent for a moment before responding. "…You didn't say that earlier."

Sebastian smirked slightly, letting the hand on Ciel's waist slide under his shirt. He felt a slight shiver run under his hand, enticing it across his stomach. The moment he'd touched Ciel his concern and awkwardness had melted away in the warmth that was growing at the base of his stomach like some sort of hunger. No, not a hunger. That thought brought images of Claude across his vision, and he rejected them. It was a want. A needful thing, but nothing that could hurt anyone. Not if he was careful. And while, admittedly, it was becoming very clear to him that keeping his control intact would be harder than he'd anticipated, he knew also that the moment he'd feel the slight tug of the leash he'd made for himself he'd pull back. Because unlike Claude, Ciel's fragile innocence wasn't a thing he felt the urge to own or to control. The need to protect it was strong in him too, and for that, he was different.

Sebastian kissed down his neck and across his shoulder, pulling back his shirt as he did. "I suppose I didn't. Should I have you leave?" Sebastian placed his other hand on Ciel's knee, carefully sliding it up under the hem of his shirt.

He heard the breath catch in Ciel's throat in the softest of gasps. But Sebastian stopped the progression of both of his hands as well as his lips, left on his shoulder, waiting for Ciel's response. When at first he got none he started to pull back from him.

Ciel reacted almost instantly, grabbing Sebastian's hand even as he pulled it away. Sebastian raised his eyebrows, looking at him expectantly. Ciel just looked back at him, forcing back expression behind his flush. Sebastian carefully held back his smirk, tilting his head to the side slightly. "Well?"

Ciel huffed slightly, then pulled Sebastian's hand back onto his thigh, leaning forward to kiss him. The forcefulness of the kiss surprised Sebastian, and it took a minute for him to pull focus enough to lean forward and slightly over the boy, instantly taking back the power of the kiss. Pushing both hands up under Ciel's shirt to his hips, he pulled him back onto the bed, laying him on his back.

Ciel didn't waver even as he was moved, matching the intensity of the older's kiss, though Sebastian could see nervousness in the flutter of his eyelashes. After a moment Sebastian broke the kiss, looking down at Ciel and permitting his eyes to wander. While it was clear that he wasn't a child any longer, his undeniably effeminate figure brought out a vulnerability of one much younger than he was. His skin was porcelain and his eyes as clear as glass. He was soft to the touch and he knew that it wouldn't take much strength to break any one part of him. But even as he looked down at him through sexual tension that you could cut with a knife, he saw a hardness in the boy's eyes that turned something in his stomach. He'd seen the shadow in his eyes before, and it haunted him.

Ciel must have noticed Sebastian's pause, because he frowned slightly up at him. "…What's wrong?" Ciel pulled the shoulder of his shirt up, looking a little self-conscious.

Sebastian just shook his head and kissed him, pushing the shirt from Ciel's shoulder again as he kissed down his neck. "It's nothing." When Ciel still looked concerned, Sebastian quickly moved to start unbuttoning the boy's shirt to distract him. The distraction went smoothly, for almost instantly Ciel became preoccupied with trying to hide the blush on his cheeks, the rate of his breath increasing ever so slightly.

Once he'd undone the last of the buttons, he carefully removed Ciel's shirt altogether, leaning back to give himself a moment to take in the sight in front of him. His eyes traveled down the younger's slender frame, doing his best to quell the churn in his loins. Ciel flushed scarlet as he watched Sebastian's eyes sweep over him, turning his head in embarrassment.

Sebastian leaned down and gently kissed Ciel's cheek, carefully taking his hand. When Ciel didn't return his gaze to him, he gently took him by his chin and turned his head to look at him. He spoke to him softly, smothering his tone with gentleness. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about, you know."

Ciel blushed brighter, his voice thick with his nervousness and anticipation. "I know that. Jesus." And even though he looked away again, he squeezed Sebastian's hand ever so slightly.

Sebastian kissed Ciel's cheek again before sitting up enough to unbutton his own shirt and pull it off, tossing it unceremoniously onto the floor by the bed. When he leaned down again to kiss Ciel the cold air on his skin only seemed to fan the lustful flames inside him higher. The moment Ciel fell comfortably into their kiss he ground his hips roughly against the younger's, drawing a gasp of surprise from him that brought a grin to Sebastian's face.

Sebastian reached down to unfasten his own pants, pushing his knee between Ciel's legs. Ciel, finally grown comfortable with his near naked self, wore an expression fresh with new nervousness as Sebastian made short work of his underwear. Now completely bare, Ciel's legs twitched slightly in reflex, and Sebastian could see he fought the urge to cover himself. Sebastian leaned down over the boy again, trying to relieve some of his anxiety. He ran a hand through Ciel's hair as he kissed him, trying to convey enough affection in the motion to set the boy's mind at ease. Once he seemed to relax, Sebastian pulled back to look at him.

"…Are you sure about this? You can tell me to stop, you know." Sebastian smiled slightly. "I promise I won't fail you."

Ciel made a face at the reminder of their academic relationship. "Shut up." He reached down and hooked a couple of his fingers in the belt loops of Sebastian's pants and yanked his hips forward slightly. Sebastian took the affirmation easily and kissed him again, no longer trying to ignore the erection that he'd let his pants hide until now.

Once he broke their kiss he held a finger up to Ciel's lips, looking at him expectantly. Ciel gave him a look before somewhat reluctantly opening his mouth to allow Sebastian's finger entry. He let the younger suck carefully on it for a moment, feeling the heat in his loins rise up into his stomach. Feeling his patience wane slightly, he pulled his hand from Ciel's face and pushed it down between his legs. He waited another moment, and then took Ciel's silence as confirmation and carefully slid the slicked finger into him.

Ciel made a face as his hips twitched in response. Sebastian chuckled slightly, leaning down to kiss his cheek as he slowly began to move his finger inside him. "You'll get used to it. It'll be fine."

Ciel kissed him back, then made a face. "You know from personal experience?"

Sebastian laughed, carefully adding a second finger. "So I've been told."

Ciel squirmed a little uncomfortably, then was silent for a moment. "…By how many people?"

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, looking amused. "Are you jealous?"

"I am not!" Ciel looked away, pouting slightly, and grumbled to himself. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

After several moments, Sebastian slid a third finger in, causing Ciel to squirm and hiss slightly. "'Everyone?'"

Ciel nodded slightly, growing relaxed more quickly than before. "Alois. He said I was jealous when he talked about sleeping with you. Which I wasn't, by the way."

"Mm hm." Sebastian leaned down and kissed Ciel again, pulling his hand away and tugging down his pants slightly. "I forgot about that. So, how about it? Should I give the blonde a go, too?"

Ciel flushed crimson in a combination of embarrassment and anger. "Don't even think abou- ah!"

Ciel cried out slightly as Sebastian pushed into him without warning. Although Ciel had been appropriately prepared, Sebastian imagined there must have been a degree of surprise involved. He had considered warning the boy, but it was worth the slap he'd probably get later to see the look on Ciel's face now. It was a mixture of surprise, pain, and submission that made his head pound.

Sebastian let out a sigh as he slowly pushed in up to the hilt, hardly feeling it as Ciel dug his fingernails into his shoulders. He stilled himself for a moment to let Ciel get used to this new presence inside him. Sebastian closed his eyes a moment, letting his senses flood with the pleasant sensations he hadn't felt in all too long. After a short moment he leaned down and kissed Ciel's neck gently, speaking softly to him. "How are you?"

Ciel glanced at him, voice slightly strained. "Remind me to hit you with something later."

Sebastian smirked, pulling out of him enough to push back in, without any greater force than he had with his first thrust. "Unless you forget."

Ciel hissed again, though Sebastian could feel him trying to relax beneath him. "I doubt that. Asshole." He turned his head to kiss Sebastian, as much as a distraction as anything.

Sebastian kissed him back, moving inside him with slightly more speed and force. "I'll take that as a challenge." He took a moment for Ciel to relax, the expressions on his face and twitches of his hips turning from those of pain and discomfort to carefully subdued pleasure. And once he'd appeared to become comfortable, he abruptly increased the pace and intensity of his thrusts, pushing himself to a rhythm that was starting to set off sparks up his spine to the base of his neck.

Ciel cried out in surprise at his change of pace, arching up into Sebastian's chest as he dragged his nails down the older's back. Sebastian felt his nails leave hot scratches down his back that burned like the fire inside his stomach, and he welcomed their sting the same.

Sebastian reached down under Ciel's back, pulling him against his chest. He looked down into his face and felt something turn in his stomach that wasn't his lust. Seeing Ciel like this, his expression so vulnerable, his every movement submitted against his own… For a moment every lustful feeling fell into the background as he felt something new lace up into his ribcage.

He felt the now familiar protective feeling, but entwined now with something different. While his lust burned hot in his chest, boiling his blood to the rhythm of his every thrust, this was different. It was warm, and gentle, curling around the inside of his chest like smoke, brushing against his heart like satin feathers.

Ciel must have noticed the change in his expression, because he frowned up at him. Sebastian simply smiled and kissed him, putting his hand to his cheek. The change rippled out from their kiss and through them, slowing their pace to a slower, deeper passion, their skin no longer crawling with need and desperation, but glowing with affection and familiarity.

With every thrust and roll of their hips the other's responded with a perfect synchronization, and Sebastian swore he felt Ciel's heart beat with his own; the underlying rhythm to a symphony he felt ring through every bone of his body.

Sebastian wrapped his arms more securely around Ciel as he felt the rise of heat in his stomach climb toward its apex. He glanced down and saw it in his partner's face as well, and it felt more that their passion increased as his pace did. He buried his face in the pillow beneath them as he climaxed, pushing deep into him and holding himself there as he rode out his orgasm. He felt the warm wetness against his stomach as Ciel shuddered beneath him, letting out a moan that was barely muffled against his shoulder.

He unsheathed himself once he felt Ciel collapse against the bed beneath him, entirely spent. He rolled off of him and onto his back, letting the coolness of open air flood his senses and calm the rapid pull of his breath.

He looked over at Ciel, whose slight frame was shivering slightly either from the chill or from the cooler undertones of an afterglow that still fevered his cheeks rosy. Sebastian reached over and pulled Ciel towards him and half onto his chest, pulling the sheet up partially over them.

They were silent for several minutes, the only sounds filling the room the soft taps of rain on the window and the slowly hushing echoes of their breath. After a bit Sebastian looked down at Ciel, softly kissing his forehead. "Still mad at me?"

Ciel looked up at him, distracted from the patterns he'd been drawing on Sebastian's chest with the tip of his finger. "Depends."

Sebastian pushed Ciel's hair back behind his ear, gently stroking his back. "On?"

Ciel pulled himself closer against Sebastian's side, entwining their legs slightly beneath the softness of the sheet. "What you give me on the paper I hand in on Wednesday."

"Hm. I see." Sebastian took to gently playing with Ciel's hair with his free hand, watching the blue undertones catch in the frail moonlight that shone through the open curtains. "Well I'll have to keep that in mind while I'm grading it."

Ciel sat up slightly, leaning over him enough to kiss him. "Just keep me in mind in general and I'm sure you'll be fine."

Sebastian grinned, rolling on top of him again. "Duly noted."

* * *

:)


	10. Nightmarish

I told you it wouldn't be much of a wait. As forewarning, this chapter takes a real genre-turn. I hope you like the change of taste here, because it was the most fun I've had writing a chapter yet. Who doesn't enjoy a break from sex and romance for a little horror, right? Enjoy :)

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_Ciel was sitting at the head of a very long room. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of people there, lining the tapestry strewn walls and stone arches that flanked the edges of the room._

_The women were all wearing long, flowing dresses woven from satin and velvet, their gold and silver cording shimmering as they stirred beneath the fire-lit chandeliers above. The men were dressed in deeply hued velvets and cream colored shirts. When Ciel looked down at himself, he observed the midnight blue velvet that he wore, and noted vaguely how the thick cloak draped over his shoulders created a pleasant warmth._

_He became aware of a weight on his head, and when he reached up he felt metal and velvet, and he realized he was wearing a crown. He felt gem stones encrusted around the edges, and a soft satin feel close to his head. The crown fit him perfectly, and he found he liked how it felt on his head very much._

_When he looked up into the crowd again, he saw amid the many faces turned toward him those of his parents. His mother's golden hair fell around her kind face in silken tendrils, framing her quiet smile that shone of pride. His father stood beside her, an arm around her waist. He made familiar eye contact with Ciel before giving him the smallest of approving nods, and Ciel felt that approval wash over him in a wave that felt like the sun._

_Ciel then became aware of the feel of cool metal in his hand, and he glanced down to see that he held a long, golden scepter, the sizable sapphire encrusted at the point casting light onto the stone floor that glittered like blue flame._

_Ciel looked back up at everyone in the long hall, and was surprised to see that they were all looking at him. Their expressions were a mixture of reverence and expectance, and he found himself wondering what it was exactly that they expected of him. He started to wonder if they expected him to say something, but even as he wracked his brain for the words, nothing came._

_Just as he was beginning to feel anxiety and confusion bubble up inside him he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and reassurance flushed through him, cooling the sparks of anxiety within his chest. He glanced to his shoulder and saw a slender, pale hand resting there, and followed the wrist and arm up to its owner._

_He then found himself looking up into the soft, smiling face of Sebastian. His dark hair fell gently into his face, not hiding the warm, reassuring glow of his gentle gaze. He leaned down, whispering into Ciel's ear with the softest of tones._

"_Don't worry, your Grace. All is well. Don't worry yourself."_

_Ciel nodded, finding how easy it was to believe the comforting words. Feeling content with his new sense of calm, he looked back out into the crowd before him. Almost instinctively, his eyes were drawn to the center front of the crowd, where his parents stood. But the moment his eyes found them, his blood ran cold in his veins, and he felt its ice pierce his heart. Something was wrong._

_At first he wasn't sure why he froze so suddenly. And then he took in the expressions on his parents faces. His father's face was twisted into a grimace of pain, though part of it was hidden by the hand he held over one eye. His mother's expression was contorted in the most agonizing fear, and it was that look that chilled Ciel's blood in his veins. After he'd gotten over the initial shock of their expressions, he noticed the other things. He saw now that his mother's neck was ringed in dark, purplish bruises and angry red marks that looked almost like burns. His eyes fell down her torso to the hand she held softly over her stomach, and Ciel felt new panic spark in his gut when he noticed the thin trails of blood seeping out from between her fingers._

_The blood spot beneath her hand spread, and when she pulled her hand away from her belly and revealed the wound there, Ciel thought he would scream, but it caught in his throat like caramel sticks to the roof of your mouth. Ciel looked back to his father just as he pulled his hand away from his face. Ciel staggered to a stand and dropped his scepter to the ground with what must have been a mighty clang, had he heard it._

_Where Ciel had expected to see his father's soft and gentle gaze, one that so often looked into his own in love and affection in his childhood, the one that had shone with approval only moments before, was now nothing. Staring back at Ciel where has father's eye had been was nothing but a gaping hole, full to spilling with dark, thick blood._

_Shaking with shock and horror, Ciel tried to back up, but his heels only hit up against of the throne behind him. He looked back at his mother, and saw that the blood-dripping hand that had been over the wound on her stomach was now raised, her arm outstretched in front of her and pointing at Ciel. No, not at Ciel, next to Ciel. The look of fear on her face had intensified, and she was mouthing frantic words, though no sound came. Ciel strained to hear what she was trying to say, but when her hand started shaking and jerking in the direction she was pointing, Ciel was suddenly overcome by a new feeling._

_The panic and horror inside him had been a fiery, burning sensation at the sight of his parents wounds. A dry heat that throbbed and pulsed from his chest, spreading out his body to his fingertips like an uncontrollable steam. But now, looking at the expression of fear on his mother's face, and the frantic way in which she was pointing to the space beside him, that panic turned to cold fear. It wasn't the instantly freezing sensation of shock. No, this was different. It was a slow cold. A creeping cold that crawled up through him on slowly clutching icy fingers that scratched his insides slow and deep._

_This new paralyzing cold filling him, he slowly turned his head to his side toward which his mother was frantically pointing. His eyes fell on the hand on his shoulder, that had moments before been so comforting. Now, looking at the hand he felt nothing but fear. The fingers were thin, and too long, the skin leathery and brittle looking, though they shined slightly in the light in a way that made them look almost wet. They ended in long, cracked nails, breaking and torn off in places. They were sick and yellow looking, darkening toward their nail beds to a deathly black. He expected the hand's grip to feel cold, but it wasn't. It wasn't hot, either. It was temperatureless, the grip tightening even as he stared at it._

_Before he could look up into the face of the person holding his shoulder, the man leaned down and whispered again in Ciel's ear. However, the voice had lost all its softness and warmth. Now it was a harsh, wet rasp, and it sent shivers down Ciel's spine. The man's breath was hot in Ciel's ear, but the tight grip on his shoulder prevented him from pulling away._

"_Don't worry, your Grace. All is well. Don't worry yourself about such things." He felt the hand tighten on his shoulder, the grotesque nails digging into his flesh painfully, and he already felt the bruise forming. "Don't worry about things that don't concern you."_

_Ciel glanced again at his mother, and this time her look of fear gave him the strength he needed to pull out of the man's grasp. He darted down the few steps in front of him and off of the raised platform, taking off running into the crowd._

_Even though he headed straight down the center of the crowd, he didn't see his parents. He expected to bump into the people as he ran headlong into them, but they parted for him with an eerie quickness. He then realized that even though they moved, whenever his body should have made contact with theirs his simply went through, as if they had no more substance than a cloud of steam._

_When he looked up into their faces he stumbled in shock and nearly fell, only barely able to find his balance again. The faces looking back at him didn't really look at all. Because these people had none. They had no faces. There was simply an empty expanse of skin where the face should have been, arching up over a nose and dipping down into valleys for eyes that weren't there. Their clothes were no longer luxuriant and beautiful, but old, ripped, shredded, and moth eaten. The women's dresses were now stretched and too long, the hems dragging on the floor. The bottoms of the dresses were wet with some dark looking liquid, which soaked up to their knees in places, smearing the floor with dark, sick looking streaks. The stone began to become slippery with them, and Ciel had to be careful not to fall, because part of him knew that if he fell here he wouldn't be able to regain his feet._

_He was starting to become aware, now, of the smell. It was a sour, acrid stench that filled his sinuses with a burning that made him dizzy. It was like nothing he'd ever smelled before. The only thing that came close was something from his childhood. It had been a hot summer, and his family had run the air conditioning most of the time. One day he was sitting by the vent in their kitchen, letting the artificially cold air wash over his face when he'd been suddenly hit by a terrible, awful smell. He had told his parents, and they called in someone to look at the air conditioning. It had turned out a cat had crawled into the vents and died there. This was a lot like that, but much, much worse. It seemed to be coming off of the people around him, wafting right off their gray and mottled skin and into his eyes and mouth, the tears welling up in his eyes effectively blinding him. It was then that he got the chilling thought that these people… these things… were dead. What he was smelling was death, and decay. The thought sent a new rush of horror and disgust through him, and he pushed himself to run faster._

_He was starting to feel like the crowd went on forever, and that he'd never get through, when he started to see breaks in the shifting bodies several yards ahead of him. But just as he felt hope rise up in his chest, he heard a sound behind him that threatened to send him tumbling to the floor in panic._

_The sound wasn't human. It was something between a screech and a howl that gurgled with a wetness that churned Ciel's stomach. It tapered off into an eerie almost-whisper, and even though it didn't form any real words, Ciel heard threats and lies in it that scraped at the corners of his mind, threatening to engulf him._

_And suddenly, it wasn't just the sound that was trying to stop him. The people around him were no longer without substance, just slipping aside for him to pass harmlessly. They had started grabbing and clawing at him with their dead hands. He felt them clutching and snagging onto his clothing, and he lost his cloak somewhere in the struggle. When he felt it slip from his shoulders he looked behind him, his eyes widening in horror as a group of them dove onto it, tearing pieces off of it with their rotting teeth._

_Ciel felt a new force of adrenaline surge through him, and he took the last few feet through the crowd at a sprint. When he finally broke free of the crowd the fresh air hit him like a most welcome wall of cleanliness. However, he didn't stop to celebrate. He kept running, out of the great hall and into a side way._

_He found himself in a long, narrow stone hallway, lit every several feet with mounted torches. There were several other halls branching out from it, and he took a number of these in a random path, seeking only to put as much distance between him and the great hall as possible._

_After a while he became aware of just how quiet everything was. The throne room had been alive with a whole array of sounds that Ciel didn't like thinking back too; the wet, sloshing sounds of the women's dresses, the angry guttural noises that the creatures managed to make without even the presence of mouths, and of course the horrible sound of the inhuman thing that had stood beside him at his throne. But here all he heard as he ran down this labyrinth of halls was the sound of his own footfalls on the stone beneath him, and the ragged pulls of his breath. He slowed to a walk, his stamina catching up with him._

_As he walked, now, along the halls, he became very aware of just how dark the places between the torches were. They created soft circles of light beneath them that stood like islands in a sea of darkness. He wasn't sure when the shadows became as dark and absolute as they were now, but he knew for certain they hadn't always been this way. He soon found that his pace picked up in the dark spaces, yearning more for each patch of light even as he stepped from the last one._

_He felt his heart skip beats when he heard it. The same howling, screeching, whispering noise from before came echoing down the halls behind him. He started, and took off running again, but he didn't have far to go. The hallway abruptly ended ahead of him, so suddenly that he nearly ran into it. He quickly realized he didn't really have any options. He could turn around and find another branching hallway, though he couldn't remember the last time he had passed one. As he was realizing the utter futility of the situation, the sound behind him growing louder and closer, he suddenly noticed a door to his right that he'd swear hadn't been there before._

_Ciel stared at it a moment before carefully putting his hand on the handle. It was a cold, iron thing, the door wooden and nondescript. It took only another wet, vicious snarl from the halls behind him to push down on the handle. He had a moment of fear that it would be locked, but it wasn't. After only a second of hesitation, he pushed the door in, quickly crossing the threshold and pushing the door shut behind him._

_Ciel took a moment to steady himself before looking around the room he'd just walked into. He discovered quickly that it was a lavishly decorated bedroom. The four poster bed was made with what appeared to be satin sheets, the canopy above dropping down in opulent midnight blue velvet. All of the wood pieces in the room were dark and elegantly carved, from the stately dresser in the corner to the ornate bedposts. On the opposite wall was a stone balcony set into the wall, though it could only be seen partially from the mostly-pulled velvet curtain that hung this side of it._

_It only took a few steps into the room for Ciel to realize he wasn't alone. He froze the moment he saw a figure sitting on the opposite side of the bed from him, facing away. He glanced back at the door he'd just entered and considering running for it, monstrous creature and all, when the figure spoke._

_Sebastian's calming voice melted away Ciel's tenseness in an instant. He felt his muscles relax, and he gladly approached the bed, getting onto it to sit behind the man._

"_I'm glad you came."_

_Suddenly, it was as if every frightening and horrific thing that had existed in the hall and beyond had never been. He was there with Sebastian in that moment, and nothing more. The man turned to face him, taking Ciel easily into his arms. Sebastian's warmth was intoxicating, and he rested his head on his shoulder, feeling at once sedated by the comfort and familiarity of his arms._

"_Of course I came. The couch was wet."_

_Ciel wasn't sure what couch he was talking about, but it seemed like the natural thing to say._

_Sebastian nodded, stroking his hair and gently rubbing his back. Ciel felt like he could fall asleep at any moment, when suddenly the image of his mother's look of fear crossed his mind's eye, and he was startled into alertness. Perhaps it was his imagination, but when Sebastian stroked his hair next he could have sworn he felt a fingernail scratch his scalp. A nail that was longer and sharper than it should have been._

_He quickly pulled back slightly from the embrace, looking up into Sebastian's face with a scrutiny guarded with a newfound lucidity. At first the face that looked back at him was kind and gentle. It was Sebastian's face, but it was also his mother's face and his father's face, and everything he knew he should trust. But the bruise that had formed on his shoulder from earlier began to ache, and something twisted inside his gut that he couldn't ignore. He moved to pull away but Sebastian held him fast. His grip was tightening to one all too familiar, and he felt panic well up inside him again._

_When Sebastian spoke his voice was still his own at first, but it darkened and deepened with every syllable, becoming something that was at first unrecognizable._

"_Don't worry, Ciel. Everything is fine. Don't think about it."_

_And then, before his very eyes, Sebastian's face transformed. It softened at first, losing shape and form, collapsing into something that looked the consistency of bread dough. And then, just as quickly it reformed, reshaping itself into a face that made every cell of his body cry out in fear and panic. His long, dark hair fell out at its roots, growing in pale and colorless. As his face took on its final shape he leaned forward, putting a crooked finger to Ciel's lips. His voice was higher now, and rang with a tone and timber that stirred something inside Ciel that had been hidden a very long time._

"_Sh, Ciel. It's fine. Everything… is fine."_

_But even as he said these words his hand slipped around Ciel's neck, slowly tightening on his throat._

_Ciel clawed and scratched at the hand, trying to pry back the fingers that gripped his throat like a vise. The panic bubbling up inside him hit the roof of his mouth, and unable to form into a scream escaped his throat in the most guttural and straining gasps. He felt his lips beginning to go numb, and his vision was becoming spotted with fuzzy dark splotches._

_He strained through the effects of the strangulation to look up into his attacher's face. And then, suddenly, the familiarity hit him with a force like a brick wall._

_In his last moments of waning clarity the name wrote itself behind his eyes, searing into his skull like the death sentence it'd always been. His eyes bulged, his hands clawing without any strength besides reflex now. The shock of his realization filled every cavity of his body, and suddenly he felt everything at once. He reached up into his attacker's face, reaching frantically for the face that had haunted a part of him that he'd locked away deep inside himself. The man only smiled tauntingly, and he saw rather than heard his words as he spoke again._

"_Don't worry, Ciel. You won't be alone for long. Don't worry. Don't... worry."_

Ciel sat up in bed with a cry, one hand around his own throat, the other reaching out into space, grasping at a face that wasn't there.

He was breathing heavily, each breath filling and emptying his lungs fully and making him shudder. He was drenched in cold sweat, the sheet sticking to his bare skin. He was shivering and shaking violently, though he felt only the heat of a furnace inside him.

Sebastian sat up beside him, shaking sleep from his head and quickly wrapping his arms around him. "Sh, Ciel. It's okay. You were only dreaming."

Ciel reacted at first in panic, pushing Sebastian away from him and nearly falling off the edge of the bed. But the older took his waist before he could, gently pulling him back. "Ciel, it's _me_. It's okay. _You're_ okay. It wasn't real, whatever it was. You're safe."

Ciel took a few more breaths, steadying himself enough to get his bearings. He looked around him. He was in Sebastian's room at his apartment. The walls were drywall. The bed was a simple queen. He was naked but for the sheet around his hips. He knew where he was.

Ciel collapsed into Sebastian's arms, crying uncontrollably for a reason he didn't understand. Even now the nightmare was slipping away from him. It was like trying to keep water in his cupped hands. After a few moments, it was gone.

Eventually he laid back down, burrowed in Sebastian's arms. After a while, his breath returned to normal, and his crying slowed and then calmed. By the time he was drifting back off to sleep he'd all but completely forgotten his nightmare.

And yet, even as he slipped into a calm, dreamless sleep, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he'd forgotten something important. But by the time he was fast asleep again in Sebastian's arms, he's forgotten that, too.

* * *

So as I was writing this I was just texting my friend like "this is so fucking dark I can't even handle myself." And it _is_ dark. But I hope it's in the same vein as the series. In any case, I literally wrote this whole thing in one sitting because it was such an intense experience for me. Of course we'll be back to the cute and love and fluff of before soon enough, but there's enough in here to hopefully get you thinking. Thanks again for reading!


	11. Butter and Syrup

For some reason it was obscenely hard for me to finish this chapter. But like all great warriors, I slew the beast gallantly and have the severed head to show for it. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Though I've never before seen a severed head with so much gay fluff. I think I'm done now. I'd say it's late but it's like 8. Anyway, here's my severed beast head I call chapter 11.

* * *

The sun woke Sebastian, catching dust motes as they floated through the air. Sebastian watched them a while, gently stroking Ciel's hair as he slept, cuddled up close to his side.

He looked down at the boy. He looked peaceful as he slept, occasionally muttering to himself and shifting around. He frowned slightly, brushing the boy's hair back from his face. Peaceful was everything that he _hadn't_ been when he'd awoken in the middle of the night.

Sebastian pulled Ciel a little closer. He'd been around people when they had woken up from nightmares before. And, naturally, he'd had his own fair share of them himself. But he had never seen someone quite like Ciel had been the night before. And it wasn't just the look of fear on his face, either. When Sebastian had awoken he'd found Ciel sitting up in a cold sweat, his hand clutching his own throat and looking like he was on Hell's doorstep itself. And the way he'd recoiled at his touch… It was in fear, that much was clear. But he'd looked Sebastian full in the face beforehand. It had seemed almost that Ciel was actually afraid of _him._

He'd waited for Ciel to fall back to sleep before trying to sleep himself, not that it took much effort. After seeing him like that, he'd found himself lying there awake for a long time. He'd tried and failed to come up with what could have scared Ciel so badly, but nothing he could conjure up was anything he thought could warrant the sheer terror he'd seen on the boy's face that night.

Ciel stirred in his arms. When Sebastian looked down he saw that Ciel had opened his eyes and was squinting around sleepily. Sebastian smiled and kissed his forehead. "Good morning."

Ciel grumbled and buried his face in Sebastian's side, pulling a pillow over his head. "Mornings are never good."

Sebastian laughed, sitting up and pulling Ciel up with him. The younger whined and crawled into his lap, hiding his face in Sebastian's shoulder and pulling the sheet up around himself. "Come on now, Ciel. Morning also means breakfast, you know."

Ciel peeked up at him. "Breakfast?"

"Mm hm." Sebastian stood up, still holding Ciel. "I was thinking waffles." He kissed Ciel's cheek before setting him back down on the bed. Sebastian put pants on, looking around for Ciel's clothes. Then, of course, he remembered that he didn't have any. Sebastian had planned on putting his clothes in the dryer the night before but never got around to it. He bent and picked up his own shirt off the floor that Ciel had been wearing and handed it to him, along with his underwear.

Ciel made a face but took them, getting dressed. "You're lucky there's breakfast. Your bed is too warm for morning."

Sebastian smiled and leaned down to kiss him. "Mm. Well, I make very good waffles, so I doubt you'll regret it." When Ciel moved to get off the bed Sebastian simply picked him up, carrying him out of the room.

Ciel frowned, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck to steady himself. "You're not wearing a shirt."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, carrying him into the kitchen. "It's my house. I don't have to wear a shirt if I don't want to. Besides, you're not wearing pants." He set him down on the counter, starting to get things out to cook their breakfast.

Ciel made a face, looking down at his bare legs. "Yeah, well you're a teacher. You're not supposed to walk around half naked."

Sebastian grinned, walking back over to stand between Ciel's legs, leaning to kiss his neck. "As if being shirtless were the most inappropriate thing I've done to a student recently."

Ciel rolled his eyes, though he tilted his head to the side to further expose his neck. "Shut up, old man."

Sebastian moved his hands to Ciel's hips, pulling him up against his own, and biting into his neck softly. "'Old man,'? I could always show you just how spry I am for my age..."

Ciel pulled back from him to kiss his nose. "Or you could make breakfast."

Sebastian groaned, one of his hands sliding up the back of Ciel's shirt. "We could have breakfast in a little while…"

Ciel reached up and flicked Sebastian's nose. "No. Later. I'm hungry."

Sebastian blinked, touching his nose and looking hurt. "Your rejection wounds me."

Ciel picked up the wooden spoon Sebastian had gotten out earlier and handed it to him. "You'll get over it."

Sebastian just chuckled and kissed his cheek, taking the spoon and going over to get the rest of his ingredients. He hummed quietly to himself as he started cooking, occasionally going over to kiss Ciel's face in general, which usually garnered him a kiss back and an impatient whine or comment. He mixed the waffle batter in silence, thinking to himself as he poured it onto the iron. Sebastian wanted to talk to Ciel about the nightmare he'd had, but only if he brought it up himself. The boy seemed in relatively high spirits, and he wasn't about to bring that down. From what Sebastian could tell, he'd all but forgotten about his middle of the night bout of horror, which really, on some level, was fine with Sebastian.

_Still…_ Sebastian popped the waffle from the iron and onto a plate once it was finished. _The way he looked..._ That wasn't the kind of terror that could just be wished away in the morning. Sure, Sebastian knew it had just been a dream, whatever it was, but for some reason it had deeply disturbed him to see Ciel like that.

Sebastian poured more batter onto the iron. As much as he didn't want to bring up the subject, once he'd closed the iron he found himself over by Ciel again, brushing his hair back thoughtfully. "…Do you remember waking up last night?"

Ciel nodded, frowning a little. "Yeah. I remember I had a nightmare, and you had to calm me down from it."

Sebastian wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Do you remember what it was about?"

Ciel shook his head. "Not really. I remember a crowd of people. And I think I saw my parents. But that's about it." He frowned slightly, looking off. "…And I remember being scared. Like, really scared." He looked back up at Sebastian. "But I don't remember what it was I was so afraid of."

Sebastian nodded, kissing Ciel's forehead. "It's alright. The important thing was that you were able to get back to sleep alright." He smiled at Ciel before going over and popping the other waffle out of iron and putting it on a plate. "Even though you did scare _me_ half to death."

Ciel just stuck his tongue out at him, breaking a small piece off of one of the waffles and tossing it in his mouth.

Sebastian took the plates of waffles over to the table and set them down, along with a ceramic dish of butter and a bottle of syrup. After the table was set, he went back over to Ciel and picked him up off the counter, setting him down in the chair opposite his at the small breakfast table.

Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, pulling the plate towards himself and covering the waffle liberally with both butter and syrup. "I can walk, you know."

Sebastian smirked, pouring them each a glass of orange juice. He leaned down and kissed Ciel's neck, mumbling quietly to him, "are you sure? I wasn't always my gentlest."

Ciel made a face, whacking him on the cheek with his fork, sticky with syrup. "Don't be gross."

Sebastian laughed sitting down and wiping syrup from his cheek. "I'd use a lot of words for what we did, but 'gross' wouldn't be one of them." He dressed his waffle before taking a bite, watching the younger devour half of his own.

"Yeah, well, I'm eating. And you're still my teacher, you know." Then he smirked at Sebastian, sucking syrup off his fork. "I could probably sue you or something."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You're eighteen, Ciel. Besides, I'd hardly say I _forced_ you into anything."

Ciel shrugged, pulling his feet up onto his chair and biting on his fork. "It's not my fault I'm so irresistible."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You're starting to sound like that friend of yours."

Ciel started in on his waffle again, a little slower than before, though not by much. "Alois? Shut up. I'm nothing like him."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, sipping from his orange juice. "I don't know, Ciel. He's also sleeping with one of his teachers." As nonchalantly as it rolled off his tongue, it still sent his stomach slightly aflutter at the thought. Could he say that? Were they really sleeping together, or... had it just been the one night?

The same questions didn't seem to be bothering Ciel. He just made a face after draining his own glass of juice. "But that's _Faustus_. That's gross. He's old and… I don't know, more teacher-like. At least you're attractive."

Sebastian frowned. "And how exactly am I not teacher like?" What he didn't say, however, was how much it quietly satisfied him that Ciel had zero interest in Claude. He knew it would be silly to feel threatened at all, but it still gave him a strange satisfaction. He saw Claude's smug face in his head, and it pleased him to know that for whatever reason, the other man wasn't good enough.

Ciel shrugged. "Well, I can tell you that wondering what I'm getting on one of my papers isn't the most prominent thing in my mind when I think about you."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I think that has less to do with my abilities as a teacher and more to do with the fact that we're sleeping together."

Ciel shrugged again, grinning slightly. "That could have something to do with it."

Sebastian laughed, then smirked as he took another drink from his juice. "_And_ I'm attractive. That must be very distracting for a student."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "You can get over yourself any time now."

Sebastian just laughed, going back to his breakfast. After a while he frowned, looking up at Ciel. "Aren't your parents going to wonder where you are?"

Ciel shrugged, in the process of trying to balance his knife and fork against each other in standing positions. "It's my aunt. And she'll probably just assume that I'm at Alois's."

Sebastian frowned again. "You didn't bring your phone, though. Is that a problem?"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "I doubt it. And I'm glad I didn't. I'm sure I have about fifty missed calls from Alois by now. I told him you kissed me yesterday, but I think I hung up on him. He's probably freaking out. Wondering if there's any chance of ill-getting." Ciel rolled his eyes again as he said it, the knife and fork falling back onto the table and making him huff.

Sebastian raised is eyebrows. "'Ill-getting?'"

Ciel nodded. "He'll want to know if we're gonna have sex."

"Ah." Sebastian stood, gathering their plates and taking them to the sink. "Well, I'm sure he'll be perfectly excited to hear about the developments on that front."

Ciel stood as well, going over and wrapping his arms around Sebastian, hugging him somewhat more tightly than he expected. When he looked down, he saw that Ciel's expression was serious as he looked off, his cheek pressed to the back of Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian frowned, turning and taking him in his arms. "What is it?"

Ciel was silent for a moment. "…What exactly are the developments?"

Sebastian was going to laugh, but he saw how genuinely concerned Ciel looked. So instead he sighed and picked him up again, carrying him into the living room and sitting on the couch with him. He held Ciel in his lap, gently kissing his temple. "Well, there's last night."

Ciel shrugged a little. "Well, yeah. Obviously. But I mean… after that? Are we…? I don't know, fuck."

Ciel seemed frustrated, and was blushing slightly again. Though now, Sebastian could tell, it was from embarrassment. Sebastian held him a little closer, rubbing his back gently. "That's up to you."

Ciel made a face. "No, you don't get to just say that. That's cheating. I asked you first."

Sebastian laughed. Ciel was usually so mature for his age, and yet he was finding that in situations like these he was almost childlike. When Ciel looked more concerned at his laugh, Sebastian gently took him under his chin and softly kissed him. "Well I'd certainly like to see you again. If that's fine with you."

Ciel seemed to relax a little. "Well, yeah. But there's still the whole… you being my teacher, thing. Isn't that a bit of a problem?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Well, I'm sure your aunt wouldn't exactly be thrilled. Not to mention, well…" He gestured between them.

Ciel frowned. "Not to mention what?"

Sebastian sighed. "Oh, you know… It's not just that I'm your teacher, Ciel. I'm a _male_ teacher. I don't know if your aunt knows you're-"

"I'm not gay, Sebastian." Ciel cut him off, crossing his arms and looking agitated. "So don't say it."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Sure, Ciel. Whatever you say." He leaned back. "And I've been with my fair share of women. But really, you can't deny the fact of it. You _did_ have sex with a man."

Ciel sat up a little, frowning at him. "Women?"

Sebastian suppressed a grin, trying not to be too amused with Ciel's look of alarm. "Yes, Ciel, _women_. I was engaged once."

Ciel frowned. "To who?"

Sebastian just sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "A real beast of a woman. I'd rather not go into it."

Ciel sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. "…Do you like women better?

Sebastian couldn't help but laugh, pulling Ciel closer and kissing his forehead. "Ciel, you have nothing to worry about. If I liked women better, I'd be with one. Hell, if I liked _men_ better in general I'd be with one." He smiled, kissing his nose. "But I like _you _better. So I'm with _you_."

Ciel nodded, looking somewhat reassured. Then suddenly he wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck to kiss him, quickly shifting in his lap so he was straddling him. "So you like me _best_, huh?"

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, his hands moving to Ciel's waist. "That's what I said, yes."

Ciel rocked his hips gently against Sebastian's, leaning to whisper, gently biting into the lobe of his ear. "Prove it."

Sebastian grinned, his hands moving down to Ciel's hips to hold them still as he gently thrust his own up into them, drawing a slight gasp from the younger. He leaned and kissed Ciel, kissing then down his jawline to his neck. "Shouldn't you at least call home? Tell your aunt you're with Alois?"

Ciel shrugged, reaching down to unfasten Sebastian's pants. "Why? It's Saturday. It's not like there's school or-" Ciel suddenly sat up, a look of horror growing on his face.

Sebastian sat up with him, looking concerned. "Ciel, what is it?"

Ciel scrambled to get off of Sebastian's lap, nearly falling to the ground in the process. He stumbled across the room to the bathroom where his clothes were hung up on the towel rack, still slightly damp.

Sebastian stood, quickly following him. "Ciel, what _is_ it?"

Ciel was quickly redressing himself, at first putting his pajama pants on backwards. "Fuck!" He got them on right and pulled his shirt on, quickly fixing his hair in the mirror. "It's my god damn birthday."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, getting a comb and running it through Ciel's hair. "It is?"

Ciel huffed, looking rushed and a little frantic. "Well, not really. It was last week. But my aunt insisted we hold a party for my extended family Saturday. _Today_. Fuck, she's going to kill me."

Sebastian smirked a little. "I suppose you can't tell her you were sleeping with your English teacher, can you?"

Ciel groaned, looking even more distressed. "And I can't say I was with Alois, either. He's gonna be there. Ugh, he's probably over there now, going on and on to her about how I haven't been answering calls or texts since last night."

Sebastian frowned. "I thought you said this was a party for your extended family."

"It is." Ciel looked himself over in the mirror again to make sure he was in order before heading back out into the living room. "She lets Alois come to ease the pain of dealing with my family." He went to the door.

Sebastian quickly caught up with him, taking him by his waist and kissing him. He felt Ciel relax a little in his arms, reaching up to touch Sebastian's cheek as he kissed him back. "Good luck." He reached down and took a notepad from the side table, writing his number down on it and handing it to Ciel. "Call me if you need anything." He kissed Ciel's cheek. "Or even if you don't."

Ciel smiled a little, kissing his cheek in return. "I will." He opened the door and went out, running to the sidewalk and calling back to him, "If my aunt doesn't kill me, that is."

Sebastian laughed and watched him disappear down the street in the direction of his house. Once Ciel was out of sight, he went back into the apartment. He was in the process of cleaning up the spilt tea from the night before when his phone rang.

Sebastian went over to where his phone was sitting on the table. He smiled slightly as he picked it up, half expecting it to be Ciel. But when he saw the name on the screen his smile quickly faded, and he considered ignoring the call. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before answering. "What?"

"Well that wasn't the most cordial of greetings, Sebastian." Claude's drawl was tempered with amusement.

"I'm just overcome with the pleasure of speaking with you. Why do you have my number?" Sebastian sat down on the couch, glancing at his drink glass from the night before and considering wetting it again. The only reason he had Claude in his phone was because one of their colleagues had given it to him a while back. He'd been going to ask him about something work related, but never got around to it.

"Because I found it. And I don't remember us being on particularly sour terms, last I checked. Unless you're still all agitated about the affair you've got with your student." The amusement on Claude's voice could seem light-hearted, if it weren't for the subtle cruelty it stank of.

What he said was true, though. They hadn't been on bad terms before now. He'd actually respected Claude as a teacher for giving some semblance a fuck about the subject he taught. And really, Claude hadn't done anything particularly wrong since then. He could say that the man was exploiting one of his students, but from his knowledge of the situation, Sebastian was sure that Alois was exploiting Claude just as much, if not more.

But in his mind Claude had become the symbol of everything he was afraid of being with Ciel. He was selfish and exploitative and manipulative. He was shallow and unfeeling and disgusting. He was everything wrong with the kind of relationship Sebastian now found himself in, and he had no good reason why.

"What do you want, Claude?" The impatience in his voice was largely unwarranted, but he found he didn't really care.

"Just curious, is all. Wondering how your situation with the Phantomhive boy has progressed." There was a joke in his voice that Sebastian didn't care to understand the punch line too.

"It's none of your concern, Claude. Stop bothering me." Without another word, he hung up, tossing his phone onto the couch beside him. He didn't know why Claude was interested in his relationship with Ciel and he didn't care. He had enough to worry about without having to wonder why Claude had any interest in his romantic life.

Sebastian looked at the clock. And even though it was only 1:00, he poured himself that glass of bourbon. It might have been a bit early, but he had banged one of his students the night before, so he thought that warranted a drink.

Or something.

* * *

Get it? "A beast of a woman?" Get it? Get it? I think I'm clever and funny. Anyway, getting this chapter to flow at all was like pulling teeth, for some reason. Everything just sounded awkward the first few times I wrote it, so I had to draft and redraft and it was ridiculous because nothing even really _happens_ in this chapter. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed it regardless :)


	12. Happy Birthday, Ciel Phantomhive

I think the hardest part about this chapter was honestly the first two fucking sentences. I think I seriously wrote like forty different versions of basically just saying "Ciel approached his house." And then I hit myself in the head with a religious icon wooden sculpture and got my shit together. Enjoy c:

* * *

Ciel ran most of the way from Sebastian's apartment, but he slowed to a walk once he was in sight of his house. He slowly approached the house from the side, walking around the cars that lined the street in front of it.

_Fuck. They're already here._

He quietly walked up to the house, crouching behind the bushes. He felt more than a little ridiculous sneaking up to his own house in broad daylight in damp pajamas, but he figured it was some karmic joke he was just going to have to roll with. He glanced sidelong into a window and saw bodies moving about inside. Feeling it was probably his best option, he circled around to the side door that opened into the kitchen, and bit the bullet and walked in.

Naturally, the kitchen wasn't empty. Right inside the door were his aunt, his cousin, and of course, Alois.

The moment Ciel walked in he was quickly smothered by his cousin's embrace, his vision obscured by locks of blonde curls. "L-Lizzie, come on. Just… let go. I can't breathe," he stammered, reaching around her to try to find a part of her dress to grab onto to pull her off him.

"Ciel we thought you might have _died!_" Her voice was just hysterical enough to hit the bar for her usual level of melodrama, and it was already giving him a headache. Almost fortunately, his aunt stepped in and pulled the girl off of him.

But then, of course, Ciel was face to face with Angelina, her dark red hair framing a look that was a combination of anger, relief, and careful scrutiny. "Ciel Phantomhive, where the hell have you been?"

Ciel scratched his head a little, looking around his aunt to his friend for help. Alois just crossed his arms at him, looking like he would be angry, if it weren't for the blatant curiosity and faint shrewdness he was looking at him with. "Uh… I was at a friend's house."

His aunt straightened up, her hands on her hips. "A _friend's_ house? Your friend is here. And he says you haven't talked to him since yesterday."

Ciel rolled his eyes, trying to edge around them to the kitchen's exit. "I have more than one friend, Aunt Red."

She frowned, narrowing her eyes. "But you came home yesterday, and I heard you go to bed."

Ciel just shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I couldn't sleep. Sorry I was late. I overslept."

His aunt just huffed, going over to the counter where the punch she had been stirring was. "Well, you're here now. Most of the family is already here. So hurry upstairs and get dressed."

Ciel just nodded, mumbling another apology as he quickly left the kitchen. Elizabeth had looked like she was going to attack him again, so he quickly sidestepped her before she could open her mouth. He quickly made it down a hallway and up a back stair to the second floor. Even though he heard Alois behind him, he didn't stop to talk to him until he'd made it to his bedroom. Alois slipped in just as Ciel pushed the door shut.

Ciel just went over to his dresser, pulling out dry clothes as Alois watched him from where he was leaning against the wall by the door. "…You don't have any other friends, Ciel. At least not any you'd go see in the middle of the night and stay over with." Alois was watching him closely as he took off his night shirt and tossed it into the laundry basket in the corner. "And you ignored my calls and texts."

Ciel just shrugged, replacing his damp pajama pants with a pair of jeans and pulling on a shirt. "I guess."

Alois went over to him, his arms crossed, and leaned into his face, scrutinizing him through narrowed eyes. "So where the fuck were you?"

Ciel made a face at him and walked over to unplug his phone from the wall. "Out."

Alois watched Ciel as he dismissed all of the missed calls and messages from Alois and his aunt. And then, discreetly as he could, he took out the paper slip from Sebastian and entered his number into his contacts.

Unfortunately Alois was quicker than he thought, and he had the paper from him as soon as he'd glanced at it. "I'm guessing this might give me a clue." His voice was amused and sing-song, and thoroughly annoying.

Ciel snatched for the paper, but Alois was too quick. In a minute he was across the room with it, his own phone out and dialing. "Alois, don't."

Alois just smirked at him as he put the phone to his ear. Ciel groaned and fell back onto his bed, waiting for the inevitable tide of mockery and excitement that was sure to follow. He heard the phone ringing from across the room, and he hoped for a moment that Sebastian wouldn't answer. But then he remembered that God hated him just as the line picked up.

"Yes?" He heard Sebastian answer, and even through the phone the sound of his voice sent a shiver down his spine.

Alois's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the voice. "_Michaelis?"_

There was a pause from the other line, and Ciel knew that Sebastian recognized Alois. He stood and crossed the room to where he was, reaching for the phone. Alois deftly twisted away from him and ran back over to the bed, jumping onto it and looking positively ecstatic. "Oh it _is_ you, isn't it." Alois laughed, holding Ciel back by his shoulder as he reached for the phone. "Oh you fucked him, didn't you? Oh you pervy old man that's the fucking _best_. I fucking _knew_ it."

Ciel heard Sebastian clear his throat over the phone, and Ciel called out, "I'm sorry, he took the fucking number." He swung his arm back and knocked Alois in the shoulder, but his friend just laughed and dropped onto the bed.

"I _knew_ you had a thing for him. Watching him all day in class like a fucking stalker. And when he said you kissed him… Oh this is just the fucking greatest. I knew he had it in him." Alois laughed again and didn't resist when Ciel grabbed the phone from him.

"Sebastian I'm sorry Alois is a stupid motherfucker just ignore him." Ciel's words were rushed and ran together slightly. Part of him was annoyed that Alois had called him, yes, but there was also a small part of him that was afraid that Sebastian would be angry with him.

But Sebastian only laughed. "It's fine, Ciel. If you want him off your back feel free to tell him that I had a conversation with Claude about him. That will get him thinking. Did your aunt kill you?"

Ciel relaxed, lying back on the bed. Alois rolled over next to him and onto his side. He was watching him with a smirk, his head propped up on his palm. Ciel did his best to ignore him. "No. I think she cares less about where I was and more about the guests getting weirded out about me not being at my own party. My cousin was kind of freaking out, but she'll live."

"Mm. Elizabeth Midford is your cousin, yes?" Sebastian's voice was calm and interested, and for the moment Ciel forgot why he'd been upset at all.

"Yeah. I guess she thought I'd died or something." Alois was leaning in close to hear the conversation. "And Alois didn't bother to cover for me at all." He made a face at his friend. "Asshole."

Sebastian chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me. Now get back to your party. I'll see you on Monday. Or sooner."

Ciel blushed slightly, and Alois didn't try to hide his snicker. "Y-Yeah. I'll see you later. I'll text you from my phone so you can have my number." He rolled his eyes at Alois. "And feel free to delete this one."

Alois grabbed the phone back from him, sitting up. "Or don't." Alois winked as he hung it up, laughing as Ciel hit him in the face with one of his pillows.

Alois sat up and threw the pillow back at him. "So come on, Ciel. Now you've joined our ranks you have to give me details."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "'Details?' What are you, a teenaged girl? And whose ranks have I joined?"

Alois sighed in impatience. "Of those of us who are sleeping with our teachers, Ciel. Duh."

Ciel raised an eyebrow, sitting up and starting a text to Sebastian. "You mean I'm a slut like you now."

Alois just nodded. "Basically. What are you saying?"

Ciel just shrugged. "Just sending him my name so he gets my number." After he'd sent it off, he put his phone in his pocket. "We should go downstairs before my aunt kills us both."

"Yeah, probably. Elizabeth was making a scene earlier and going on about how we should call the police to tell them you're missing. And Angie was just worried that your family would notice you weren't there for your own birthday and think she couldn't throw a good party." Alois got off the bed, stretching slightly and running a hand through his hair. Ciel was fairly certain Alois was in a constant state of believing that he needed to behave like he was a model at a photo shoot. While his (purposefully) more seductive habits drew plenty of attention from men and women alike, they just made Ciel roll his eyes. If there was one thing that Alois had plenty of it was vanity, and he wished people would stop fanning it wherever he went.

"That's embarrassing." Ciel stood as well and went to the door. "Come on. I'd kind of just like to get this over with as quickly as possible."

Alois came up behind him in a second, grinning. "So then you can tell me all about your sexcapades."

Ciel just rolled his eyes and went out of his room and into the hallway. He endured all of Alois's whispered innuendos down the hall and the stairs, but he mercifully grew silent as they went into the living room.

Various members of Ciel's extended family were gathered there, chatting over drinks. Apparently his aunt had gone and hired a bartender again, and he was set up at the bar in the corner. He managed to get across the room to a vacant seat on a couch with a minimal number of stops for short, vacant conversation and "happy birthday, Ciel"s. At one point his cousin Edward tried to stop him to interrogate him about where he was and lecture him on making his sister so upset, but Alois was able to effectively pull him away.

Once he sat down Alois leaned over and whispered to him, "gee, for this being your party your own family isn't really giving you the time of day. Except for your stick-up-his-ass cousin, anyway."

Ciel just rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to be too offended. Besides, I'm 98% certain they came mostly for the free martinis. And probably to chat with my aunt." He looked across the room to where Angelina was sitting, aflock not only with their family members, but other men that Ciel didn't know that she'd probably invited for her own benefit. Not that Ciel minded. He much preferred that everyone left him alone, anyway.

Ciel was watching his aunt socialize when Alois leaned over again, nudging his shoulder. "Hey. Vice Principal Landers is heading over here." Ciel looked to where Alois had nodded and saw that sure enough, he was.

Ash Landers was their high school's vice principal and, as of rather recently, Ciel's aunt's latest boyfriend. It would have been the height of awkwardness having his vice principal show up at his house to woo his aunt, but he'd known Ash for long enough that it wasn't really weird. Thankfully Ash wasn't the type to make things awkward at school, and he wasn't offended when Ciel didn't spend time around them when he was there to see his aunt. It could have been called jealousy that his aunt was spending less time with him and more with Ash, but he figured it was just good old fashioned protectiveness.

Ciel's aunt was an avid socialite, yes, but she was also the only person Ciel had had after his parents' death. Sure, there was other family, but most of them just distanced themselves from Ciel in the wake of the deaths. He figured it was partially resentment about not being included in the will, which Ciel understood to some degree. His aunt, on the other hand, had not only inherited a good sum of money from Ciel's parents, but was holding onto Ciel's inheritance for him until he turned 21. He could, in theory, have inherited it once he'd turned 18, but Ciel didn't really care much about finances and had said he didn't want it yet, anyway.

A lot of people figured she'd been the one to take in Ciel because his parents had left her so much money, but really it worked the other way. His parents had trusted her most, not with their money, but with their son. She'd promised his mother that she'd take care of him if anything ever happened to them, and they had trusted that she would. And with that trust, had come the honor of being the only other beneficiary to the Phantomhive money and estate.

And Ciel loved his aunt. She'd raised him most of his life, and she might as well have been a second mother to him. Her own husband had been lost in a car accident years before, and it had taken her a long time to get over that grief. But now she saw a lot of men, but rarely dated them, so this thing with Ash was new. And not entirely welcomed by Ciel.

It wasn't that Ciel didn't want his aunt to be with someone. That wasn't it at all. In fact, he'd entirely welcome it if his aunt remarried to someone she loved and was happy with. It was more… that it was _Ash_.

And it wasn't that he was the vice principal, either. Ash had been a family friend for as long as Ciel could remember. Although, really, he couldn't say what part of the family he was actually friends with. And it had seemed weird for him to start dating his aunt all of a sudden.

Ash smiled charmingly as he approached Ciel and Alois. "Happy Birthday, Ciel. I'm glad you could join us." It would have seemed perfectly pleasant if it weren't for the lilt in his voice at the end.

Ciel smiled with more sweetness than he felt. "Thanks, Ash. It's not my birthday, though. It was last week."

"Oh, I see. Though I suppose a Saturday really is better for a party, don't you think?" Ash sat down in a chair near them. "Is that where you were, Ciel? Out partying someplace else?"

He felt the look Alois gave him more than saw it. Generally speaking Ash didn't try this hard for conversation with Ciel, and he wasn't a fan of the tone he was taking on now. "Sure," he replied flatly, raising an eyebrow. "A real wild one." He heard Alois stifle a giggle beside him.

Ash smiled back at him tightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Well, well. I'm sure Angelina wasn't too happy about that."

"Oh, she doesn't know." Ciel leaned forward, smiling as he whispered, "let's let it be our secret, alright?"

"Of course." Ash stood again, looking largely unamused. "Have a good not-your-birthday, Ciel." He nodded to Alois. "Trancy." He glanced back at Ciel again before walking away.

Once Ash had moved on to another room Alois turned to Ciel. "The fuck was that about?"

Ciel just frowned. "I don't know. He seemed… different than usual."

"Like… different than before or since he started banging Angie?" Alois looked more serious than usual, and that concerned Ciel.

"I don't know. Different than even lately, I guess. Is it just me, or didn't he seem a little… Antagonistic?" Ciel had gotten the feeling the moment Ash had started talking to him, but figured he was probably imagining it.

"Yeah. He kind of was." Alois looked at him. "He was just kinda… weird. He's a creepy motherfucker."

Ciel nodded. Alois opened his mouth to say something more, but it was interrupted by a groan. Ciel was about to ask what it was, but then his vision was filled with blonde.

Elizabeth was hugging him again, and saying something unintelligible about his not being dead. "Lizzie, yeah, I'm alive. I was just out for the night." With some effort he managed to push her off of him and onto the couch next to him.

"Why didn't you have your phone with you? Auntie An tried to call you and text you and everything and even Alois said you hadn't talked to him in forever and you disappeared in the middle of the night and what was I supposed to think?!" She was so frazzled even her ringlets looked flustered, bouncing about around her head.

Ciel just sighed hugging her awkwardly for reassurance. "Well, I'm fine. I promise that I'll keep my phone on me all the time from now on, okay?"

Elizabeth just crossed her arms, looking sternly at him. "Where were you?"

"Uh… I was with a friend." Alois snorted and Ciel elbowed him hard in the side. "I fell asleep, and because I didn't have my phone I wasn't able to set an alarm. Sorry I worried you."

Elizabeth huffed, but looked a little less upset with him. "Well, now that you're here you have to open your presents."

Ciel groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Come on Lizzie, I'm tired. Can't I just open them later after everyone's left?"

"Ciel! That's not any fun! Then no one can see you open their presents!" She looked at him sternly and Ciel just sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'll just open yours, okay? With you right here. Would that be okay?" Ciel cared a lot for his cousin, but sometimes talking to her felt a bit like talking to a child.

"Okay!" Elizabeth jumped up and ran off to go get her present. As she disappeared in the crowd of people as she headed off towards another room, Ciel thought the she still _looked_ rather childlike, too. She'd always had her long, golden ringlets and an eye for dresses. Actually, now that he thought about it, he'd never seen her in something that wasn't a skirt or a dress. Not to say that they didn't look good on her, or anything. But with all of the makeup and frills sometimes she looked a bit like a doll to him.

Like he'd grown up with his aunt like a mother, Elizabeth had been like a sister. They were practically the same age, so they went to the same school now. They were even in some of the same classes, including Sebastian's. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen if Elizabeth found out about his relationship with Sebastian. While they were very close, and he knew she loved him like a brother, he also knew that that love had limits. Elizabeth was more… well, religious than Ciel's side of the family, and he was certain that her church-Sunday dresses would wilt and whither at hearing her brother-like cousin was having sex with men.

A minute later Elizabeth was back, a box in her arms and Angelina in tow. Once Elizabeth had reclaimed her seat beside him Ciel's aunt smiled and sat down in the nearby chair. "And you thought you could get away with only opening Lizzie's present." She held a box wrapped in red paper out to him.

Ciel smiled and took the box. He opened his mouth to reply, but then saw that Ash had followed them as well. He smiled at Ciel and sat down on the floor in front of his aunt's chair, leaning back against it. "And of course, I have one for you as well." He pulled out a small white box with a blue ribbon and held it out to him.

Ciel took it, nodding. Elizabeth made an impatient noise and set her own box in his lap. "Mine first, Ciel." The box was wrapped in yellow paper that was covered in white lace, and was tied together with a wide pink bow.

"Uh, sure. Of course, Lizzie." He smiled at her and carefully unwrapped the gift, feeling like the wrapping paper itself was probably more expensive than half the gifts he'd received in his life. He opened the box under the paper and raised his eyebrows a little.

He lifted out of the box an ornate wooden boat. "It's a very nice boat, Elizabeth." He heard Alois snicker next to him and he elbowed him again to shut him up.

"It's not just a _boat_, Ciel. It's an ark! As in Noah's ark! We used to have one like it when we were little." She was smiling and looking very proud of herself and her Noah's boat.

"Ooh. Right. I knew that." Ciel smiled and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. Now that she mentioned it, it did look vaguely familiar.

"I didn't know you liked religious icon wooden sculptures, Ciel." Alois was trying to hide his grin as he said it, and Ciel resisted the urge to hit him in the head with the ark.

"Actually, Alois, I _love_ religious icon wooden sculptures. So fuck you." Alois laughed, but Ciel's aunt gave him a severe look so he shrugged apologetically.

Angelina just smiled at Elizabeth. "It's a very nice ark, Lizzie." She turned to look back at Ciel, nodding towards her own red-wrapped gift. "I hope you'll like that, Ciel."

"I'm sure I will." Ciel opened her gift and found it was a nice new glass chess set. He smiled warmly at her. "Thanks, Aunt Red. It's great. We'll have to play soon."

She just smiled and nodded her head. "Maybe I'll beat you for once."

Before Ciel could say anything else, Alois pulled a box out from under the chair next to him and put it on Ciel's lap. "Here ya go, Ciel. My turn."

Ciel raised his eyebrows at him. "You got me a present?"

"Fuck yeah, I got you a present. Now go on, open it." Alois grinned at him.

Ciel looked warily down at the box in front of him, wrapped in yesterday's newspaper. He pulled the paper off to reveal a cardboard box a microwave came in. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you didn't get me a microwave."

Alois shrugged. "If I did you'd better not fucking complain. Microwave's ain't cheap."

Ciel rolled his eyes and pulled back the duct tape holding the box shut. Inside was a bottle of tequila, what appeared to be a blue silk nightgown with matching panties (complete with bows) and a smaller wrapped box.

Ciel just rolled his eyes and Alois laughed. "I really think blue's your color, Ciel."

Angelina raised an eyebrow and Ciel just shook his head. "Pajamas. He got me pajamas, Aunt Red." He gave his aunt a look and she just winked at Alois, who laughed again. His euphemism was mostly for Elizabeth's sake. And from the looks Alois and his aunt were exchanging, and her reply of "blue really is your color" he got the feeling she'd had a hand in Alois's picking out the nightgown and panties.

Ciel just rolled his eyes and picked up the smaller wrapped box. He tore the paper from it and frowned. "Hamlet?"

The DVD he was holding was, in fact a movie adaptation of _Hamlet_. It didn't really seem to fit the flavor of his other gifts, so he was surprised to see that Alois was still grinning. "Open it," he mouthed at him.

Ciel opened the DVD case and quickly shut it again, after staring for half a second. The disc in the case was definitely not a Shakespearean tragedy. The disc was undeniably gay porn. Maybe it was the men making out on the disc sticker or the fact that it was titled "Dicks and Asses" in flowery pink text, but it was hardly discreet.

Ciel looked back at Alois, hissing at him. "You knew, didn't you? You know I was with… him."

Alois leaned in and whispered to him, "well you did say he kissed you. So I figured it was going to happen eventually, if not immediately. Especially when I snuck into your house last night and you weren't here. Where the fuck else were you going to be?"

Ciel just gave him a look. He noticed the strange look his aunt was giving him so he held up the DVD case. "We're reading it in English."

This seemed to satisfy Angelina fine, but Ash was still giving Ciel a strange look, so he quickly set Alois's box aside and picked up Ash's box. He pulled off the ribbon and opened the small white silk box.

Inside was a smaller velvet ring box. And inside that was a silver ring with a large sapphire set into it. Ciel's breath caught in his throat when he saw it. He knew this ring. This was his father's ring.

Ciel looked up at Ash, wide-eyed. "Where did you get this?"

Ash smiled back at him. "It's been locked up in an evidence locker for years. Somehow it managed to get mixed in with evidence instead of being set aside with personal effects. I have a friend in the department and it came up in conversation, so I convinced him to let me take it. I figured you ought to have it."

Ciel looked back down at the ring. He took it out of the box and turned it over between his fingers. It was a family ring. Passed down through the paternal line. He had always assumed that it had been lost or stolen, and so he'd basically written it off. He looked up at his aunt and saw that she was looking sadly at the ring. He slid it onto his hand and looked at it. Light from the parted curtains hit the sapphire and scattered shards of cobalt light onto the cream colored seat of the couch.

For a moment Ciel felt very, very cold. The sound around him; the chatter of party guests, the clinking of cocktail glasses, the ticks of the large grandfather clock in the corner, it all seemed to dull against a heavy hush that neared silence. He stared for a moment at how the gem cast its jewel-blue light and he felt something like a memory stirring at the back of his mind. He tried desperately to focus on it, but it was just beyond the reach of his memory. And then for half a second it clawed to the surface, and he saw in his mind's eye the same blue light glittering against a stone floor, and then it was gone.

"Ciel?"

He looked up, and realized they were staring at him. It was Ash who had spoken. Ciel cleared his throat and smiled at him. "Thank you. It really means a lot that you were able to find this."

Ash smiled a slightly oily smile that made Ciel shiver without really realizing why. "Of course."

After that his family dispersed, and he and Alois slipped out and back up to Ciel's room. But not, of course, before Alois had stolen a bottle of rum from the bar. They sat back on Ciel's bed, and he agreed to drink with Alois this time.

It was five shots later that Ciel's refusal to give Alois details about his night with Sebastian gave way to him describing everything from the color of the sheets on his bed to the way his breath felt against the side of his neck. Alois was too drunk to catch every word of every sentence, but he got enough to be positively enthralled. About the time when he was telling Ciel that he really ought to let Alois kiss him (you know, to compare, so he could better understand Ciel's story) that he started texting Sebastian.

Ciel, of course, had never drunk texted a teacher before. And certainly not one that he happened to be sleeping with.

And in the morning he decidedly had concluded that he really didn't recommend it.

* * *

Longlonglonger than usuaaal. Not that it seems like it though, really. Also, I'm noticing that I've been including a lot more things from the anime canon than that from the manga, and that's been entirely on accident. My 14th volume came yesterday, so it's not like I'm super far behind on the manga or anything. Anyway, I should probably get to bed before I start thinking that I need tacos a lot more than I actually do. Night c: (And thanks for reading! :D)


	13. Copies

Okay so this is mostly just shameless self-indulgence. For those of you who wanted it, here's your straight-up smut xD I needed a break from the plot I've been trying to figure out. ALSO sorry it took so long to update I started watching Attack on Titan and it ate my entire life a little bit. If you haven't watched it you really need to because it's perfect. Also I ship everything. But that's not new.

* * *

_"i htink i mihgt be a litttle drunk"_

_"That wouldn't surprise me in the slightest."_

_"wat why"_

_"You said earlier that you were drinking with Alois."_

_"oh yeah"_

Sebastian glanced up from the papers he was grading to check on how his class was doing. To give himself a break from dealing with them himself he'd assigned them to read the next passage of _Hamlet_ in small groups.

He let his eyes pass quickly over the majority of the class before focusing on Ciel's group. He was working with Alois, the Midford girl, and the redhead. Ciel was clearly trying to read, but every few sentences Alois would lean in and whisper something in his ear that would make him either blush in embarrassment or hit him over the head with his book. Either response brought the shadow of a grin to Sebastian's lips.

_"the creepy gve me a ring"_

_"Who's 'the creepy'?"_

_"Assh. Hes datnig my aunt"_

_"Ash Landers?"_

_"yeah police are freinds was my dads"_

_"I see."_

Noticing that Sebastian was watching them, Alois looked up and winked at him. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Sebastian only nodded at him, glancing back at Ciel. Alois must have found humor in this, because he was laughing when he leaned in to whisper to his friend.

Ciel just rolled his eyes and handed the book to Alois. "Okay then, _you_ read." Alois made a face but took the book and read a few lines, a bored look on his face. Apparently he gave up after that, because he closed the book and stuck his tongue out at Ciel.

_"You know for a moment when you said someone gave you a ring I was almost jealous."_

_"Oh Sbastian you mean like an gagement ring! Oh no! No im not marreid i promise!"_

_"Yes, Ciel, I know you're not married."_

_"ok good. i cant be married becuase were together and stuff"_

_"Yes, Ciel. We're 'together and stuff.' You're cute when you're drunk."_

_"am not"_

Sebastian got up and walked leisurely around the room, stopping first at the other groups. Then he went over to Ciel's group, stopping just behind him. "And how are your written assignments going? Hm, Ciel?"

Ciel mumbled something, clearly making the conscious effort not to look at Sebastian. He grinned and leaned down over his shoulder, pointing to a line on his worksheet. "What's your support for this claim, Ciel?"

Their faces but inches apart, Sebastian could feel as much as see Ciel's flush as he stammered, "Th-The passage before the one Alois was just reading. The use of this imagery is a running motif." He nodded, trying to look nonchalant.

"Mm. I see." Sebastian leaned a little closer, lifting up Ciel's paper as he read through it. This was the first time they'd been in a classroom together since Saturday, and he could tell it made Ciel nervous. He could see Ciel growing increasingly uncomfortable with their closeness, and he tried not to take too much amusement or excitement from it. Though he did anyway.

_"why arent you here"_

_"Because I'm at home, Ciel."_

_"no thats not a good enuogh answer com here"_

_"I get the feeling that would be a very bad idea. Besides, you have Alois for company, don't you?"_

_"yeah but i dont want to have sex with alois"_

_"Well I'd certainly hope not."_

_"we did once tho"_

_"What?"_

Sebastian hadn't seen Ciel since Saturday night. He had hoped to see him on Sunday, but the boy's aunt had had other plans. Consequently, this was the first time they'd seen each other since Ciel had gotten drunk with Alois. It was becoming clear that Ciel was unwilling to meet his eyes, which didn't altogether surprise him. Ciel, it seemed, didn't have the best judgment when intoxicated. Although in truth he didn't have any reason to be embarrassed. Texting with drunk Ciel had actually been largely amusing for Sebastian. Even if there was the shadow of a lingering jealous that still hovered there.

Alois turned the book over on the desk and looked up at Sebastian. "This is boring." He leaned his elbow on the book, resting his chin on his palm.

Elizabeth scowled and took the book from him, making Alois fall forward slightly, whining. She flipped through the book, trying to find their page again. "Don't be so rude, Alois. It's not Mr. Michaelis's fault you're too slow to understand Shakespeare."

The Sutcliff boy snickered. "Or too hungover." He flicked a strand of crimson hair back over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Alois.

Alois stuck his tongue out at him. "For your information Grell, I have been perfectly sober since Saturday. Unfortunately." He looked up at Sebastian. "But like I was saying, this is boring." He smirked slightly up at Sebastian. "You should make it more exciting. I hear you're good at that."

Sebastian saw it out of the corner of his eye when Ciel kicked Alois under the table. Alois winced between cackles, laying his head down on the desk.

_"yeah. we got realy wasted and had sex once. i thuoght alois forgot about it but he said somthing about it the other day"_

_"I see. When was this?"_

_"like a time. alois is realy hot tho so it wasnt to bad"_

_"You find Alois attractive?"_

_"only when im really drunk"_

_"That's a bit reassuring."_

_"your always attractive thuogh"_

_"Why thank you, Ciel."_

Sebastian straightened up, giving Alois a look. "Ciel. I need to make some copies for tomorrow's homework assignment. Come with me."

Alois sat up again, laughing loudly. "Seriously? Okay, okay. That's cool. But why do you need _his_ help to make copies, Michaelis? Huh?" He looked innocently up at him, twirling a piece of his hair on his finger.

Sebastian had to resist the urge to take the book from Elizabeth and hit the kid with it. But he simply smiled at him, answering coolly. "Well I'd ask _you_, but it might be a little too complicated a task for you to manage."

Grell raised his eyebrows. "Wow. You just had a teacher tell you how stupid you are. I think you broke your own record."

Alois grumbled, making a face. "Shutup."

Sebastian smirked, turning and heading back to his desk. There was a moment's hesitation before he heard Ciel's chair push back. He went over to his bag and shuffled through his papers until he found the ones he wanted. He picked up the stack of papers to be copied and handed them to Ciel. He barely glanced at him as they left the room and headed down the hall toward the supply room.

_"Have you and Alois ever dated?"_

_"no thats dumb. were just friends."_

_"Good."_

_"are you jealuos sebastian"_

_"Of an eighteen year old drunken slut? No, Ciel. I'm not jealous of Alois."_

_"oh good. youre better in bed anyway"_

_"I'm guessing I've had a bit more practice."_

_"i don't know. alois is kind of a whore"_

_"So I've heard."_

They didn't say anything as they walked through the halls. The supply room was tucked away in a corner of a second floor hallway. It wasn't a large room. In one corner stood the copier, a mammoth piece of machinery that probably should have been replaced years ago. There was a counter that went around the perimeter of the room with paper cutters and 3-hole-punches and other such things sitting on it. Below the counter were cupboards filled with paint sets, markers, and other office supplies. On the walls above the counters to the ceiling were set into the wall wooden boxes not unlike the teachers' mailboxes in the office, but full of all colors of printer and construction paper. There was a wooden table in the center of the room, its surface gouged in places and stained with paint.

_"i miss you"_

_"You saw me just a few hours ago, Ciel."_

_"i know. but i mis you like well you know"_

_"Like what?"_

_"like sex"_

_"Oh I see. Why don't you tell me more about that, Ciel?"_

Once they were in the room Sebastian shut the door behind them, quietly clicking the lock shut. When he turned around Ciel was walking over to the copier. Sebastian quickly crossed the room to him, taking Ciel's waist and spinning him around to face him.

Ciel looked surprised, holding the stack of papers close to his chest. Sebastian knocked the papers out of his hands, sending them fluttering to the supply room floor. He rotated them so Ciel's back was to the table in the center of the room and pushed him over to it, his other hand going in his hair as he kissed him roughly.

_"i miss you touching me"_

_"Where?"_

_"my hips. and my hair."_

_"Oh? What else?"_

Sebastian lifted Ciel by his hips and put him down on the table, stepping between his legs and pulling Ciel's hips roughly against his own.

Ciel blinked in surprise, putting his hands on Sebastian's chest to push him back slightly. "Whoa. Where did this come from? Not that I'm complaining, but-ah!"

Sebastian had moved to kissing Ciel's neck the moment he'd pushed him out of their kiss, and he bit into the skin harder than he normally did. Ciel shivered slightly under his hand as he slid it under his shirt and up his back, pulling him closer against his chest. "Tell me to stop and I will."

Ciel shook his head slightly, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck and kissing him again, biting slightly into his lower lip. "Don't stop."

_"i cant say it im getting embarased"_

_"Ciel we've slept together. You don't have to get embarrassed, you know. Not that I want you to feel uncomfortable."_

_"but im thinking realy bad things"_

_"Then definitely tell me."_

Sebastian took his hand from his back and brought it in front of Ciel's face, sliding a couple of his fingers into Ciel's mouth. He looked up into Sebastian's eyes as he held onto his wrist with both hands, sucking generously. Sebastian groaned and leaned over the boy slightly, feeling a shudder run through him. Ciel didn't have to run his tongue over Sebastian's fingers many times before he lost patience, pulling his hand from his mouth and sliding it down the back of Ciel's pants.

Ciel arched his back against Sebastian's chest as he pushed a finger into him, breath hot and quick against the side of Sebastian's neck. He put his other hand on Ciel's back and pulled him more tightly against him, leaning to kiss him again. He forced his tongue roughly into Ciel's mouth, groaning into their kiss as Ciel's legs tightened on either side of his waist.

_"i miss having your hands all over me. theyre so much bigger than I realized"_

_"The better to touch you with, my dear. Your drunk texting gets better when you talk about sex, you know."_

_"shutup"_

Sebastian slid another finger into him, leaning forward to whisper in Ciel's ear. "Unbutton my pants." Ciel reached down without a word and unfastened them. Sebastian grinned and kissed him again, feeling Ciel's sweat on the hand that was on his back as it soaked slightly through his shirt. "Thank you, love."

After another moment of moving his fingers inside him he pushed a third in, and Ciel squirmed uncomfortably. "Shh," he gently cooed in his ear. "You're fine. I just don't want to hurt you."

Ciel took his face in his hands and kissed him, biting harder into his lip. "I wouldn't stop you if you did."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh?"

Ciel reached back and pulled Sebastian's hand out from his pants, unfastening them with his other hand. "Shutup and fuck me."

Sebastian was slightly surprised at the difference in Ciel's attitude from the other night, but he was hardly complaining. He grinned, pulling Ciel's pants off and pushing him back onto the table. "As you wish."

_"Tell me more about how much better I am than Alois."_

_"youre a lot older than he is. so it's a lot mor exciting and stufff."_

_"More exciting, hm?"_

_"and youre bigger than he is."_

_"You're rather vulgar when you're drunk, you know."_

_"shutup you like it"_

Sebastian leaned down to kiss him again. "Are you ready?" He pulled one of Ciel's legs up onto his shoulder, kissing down his neck as he pulled down his own pants slightly to release himself.

Ciel nodded, bracing himself.

Sebastian took Ciel by his hips and pushed into him to the hilt, groaning slightly as he did so.

Ciel gasped and shuddered, wincing slightly in pain. He reached out and gripped the edge of the table, digging his nails into the already-scarred wood. Sebastian took a moment before pulling back and thrusting in again, drawing a hiss from Ciel.

_"sebastian alois keeps trynig to kiss me"_

_"Punch him in the face."_

_"no thats mean!"_

_"Yeah, well Alois needs to learn to keep his hands to himself."_

_"your hands should be on me"_

_"Ciel focus."_

Sebastian leaned down, gripping Ciel's hips tightly and pulling them forward to meet his own as he took up a pace. Ciel moaned softly, writhing slightly beneath him as he arched his back. Feeling him writhe like that brought a grin to Sebastian's face, and he answered by increasing both the strength and speed of his thrusts.

Just as Ciel's moaning was growing in volume Sebastian suddenly heard the shake and rattle of the doorknob. He swore under his breath and quickly put a hand over Ciel's mouth, though he didn't stop thrusting.

Ciel tried to say something but was instantly silenced when they heard a knock on the door.

A female voice came from the other side. "Is someone in there? Why is the door locked?" _Rattle rattle._

Ciel's eyes widened and for a moment he scrambled, trying to sit up. But Sebastian held him down gently, leaning to whisper in his ear. "It's fine. Tell her you're making some copies." Sebastian kissed the side of Ciel's neck, still never breaking pace.

Ciel stared at him for a moment, whimpering at a slightly harder thrust. After a moment he pulled back Sebastian's hand to hiss at him, _"why me?"_

Sebastian grinned, kissing his neck. "Because I want to hear you try to keep your voice level."

Ciel glared at him, but didn't fight it. He closed his eyes and took a moment to get his head straight, then cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm m-making copies."

Sebastian grinned, biting slightly into the lobe of Ciel's ear as he whispered to him. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Why is the door locked? Who's your teacher?" Sebastian recognized the voice of Paula, the timid library assistant. This relaxed him a little. Paula wasn't much of a threat.

Ciel opened his mouth to respond and Sebastian thrust into him, hard, and all that he managed was a small squeak that diminished to a gasp. He shot Sebastian a death glare, to which he only smirked and kissed him. After a moment Ciel tried again.

"I um… I dropped a bunch of-_fuck!_-" Ciel was cut off mid-sentence with his own exclamation, which he uttered under his breath. Sebastian had pushed hard into him, in just the right way that under normal circumstances would probably have coaxed a scream from him.

"What did you say?"

"I uh, um, dropped a bunch of p-papers everywhere. I d-don't wa-_ah!_ Um, want anyone to comeinwhileI'mcleaningitup!" Ciel finished his sentence in a rush, digging his nails into the table and arching sharply against Sebastian's chest.

"Okay… Who's your teacher?" Paula was starting to sound a little concerned.

Sebastian's pace increased significantly as he neared his climax, yanking Ciel's hips hard against him with every thrust. He leaned down and breathed into Ciel's ear, "go on. Tell the lady. Tell her who your teacher is."

Ciel bit hard into Sebastian's shoulder to muffle a whimper. After a moment he pulled his head back, focusing all of his energy on enunciating even as he neared his own climax. "My teacher is… ah… um… _ah!"_ Just then Sebastian thrust into him hard, holding Ciel's hips in place as he came inside him, his head falling back with a shudder. At nearly the same moment Ciel was as well pushed over the edge. Arching and clawing at the table, he practically screamed the name as he finished. "_Sebastian!_"

There was a moment of silence outside. Once they were finished, Ciel collapsed back against the table, chest heaving. Sebastian quickly pulled out of him, zipping up his pants and running a hand through his hair.

After a moment, Paula's voice came again from the other side of the door. "Sebastian? Sebastian Michaelis?"

Sebastian crossed the room to the door and quickly unlocked and opened it, smiling charmingly down at Paula. "Yes. Sebastian Michaelis."

_"alois fel asleep"_

_"Or passed out, I'd wager."_

_"yeah mabye that to. now im bored so yuuo should come have sex with me"_

_"Ciel, Alois is still there. That's hardly something we need an audience for."_

_"shh hes asleeep hed never even no"_

_"Oh, Ciel."_

_"c:"_

Paula blinked up at him. "O-Oh. I didn't realize you were in there." She tried to peek past him, but Sebastian pulled the door a little tighter against his side to block her view, still smiling at her.

"Yes. I apologize for the wait. We'll only be a few more minutes to get cleaned up." He smirked, leaning against the door frame. "We've just finished."

Paula's eyes widened slightly and she fidgeted with the papers she'd rolled up between her hands. "O-Oh it's fine. I'll come back later. Take your time." She turned and walked away quickly.

Sebastian chuckled slightly and turned away from the door, closing and locking it again. Once he was turned around Ciel pushed him back against the door, kissing him. Sebastian grinned and rolled, pushing Ciel against the door as he kissed him back. "Sorry I had to turn away so abruptly. I really needed to get rid of her."

Ciel wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck, smiling at him. "That's fine. I got cleaned up and put my pants back on, so we're all good now." He kissed Sebastian's cheek.

Sebastian smiled and picked him up. He carried him over and set him on the counter as he gathered up the papers he'd scattered on the floor earlier. "I do actually need to make copies, you know."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Really? I kind of thought you came in here just to jump me."

Sebastian smiled and stood again, going over and kissing his cheek. "Mostly that." He turned to the machine and started making copies. He felt a slight tugging on his shirt, and when he looked down he saw that Ciel was holding onto the corner of his shirt as he watched the copier work. Sebastian smiled gently and took one of his hands, switching out pages.

_"sebastian im tired"_

_"You should probably get some rest. Sleep it off. You drank enough water, right? I don't want you to feel too awful in the morning."_

_"yeah i did. i wish you were here."_

_"Yes, I know. We've been over this, Ciel."_

_"no not like for sex. i just want yyou here so you can hold me"_

_"…I wish I were there to hold you, too."_

Ciel watched quietly as Sebastian took care of the paperwork, holding onto both Sebastian's shirt and his hand all the while. Once he'd finished making copies he lifted Ciel from the counter and set him on the floor again. He handed half the stack to Ciel and took the other himself. He smiled and kissed the top of Ciel's head. "Thank you for humoring me with Paula."

Ciel laughed. "Don't worry about it. Besides, in your effort to sabotage me you just got that much better." Ciel winked and stood on his toes to kiss Sebastian's cheek.

Sebastian laughed and kissed him. Ciel smiled at him, and they went back out into the hall.

They walked back to the classroom mostly in silence, though when Sebastian glanced over at Ciel he saw he was practically glowing. When they got to the classroom they stopped just outside the door. Sebastian looked around before putting a hand to Ciel's cheek and leaning to kiss him. The kiss was soft and loving, and Sebastian felt Ciel smile against his lips.

_"i thikn ill go to bed now"_

_"Alright, Ciel. You get some sleep. And feel free to call me in the morning."_

_"okay i love you."_

_"…I love you too, Ciel."_

* * *

I was recently so wasted that I made a few mildly regrettable phone calls, so I feel like Ciel and I have a new kinship. Also, A week from today I'm leaving for Hong Kong for a couple weeks. I will probably have another chapter up by then, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. While I'm gone I'll probably keep writing, but if there's a delay that's why. Thanks always for reading c:


	14. Things Ciel Doesn't Know

Greetings from Hong Kong! Sorry it took so long to update. First there was packing and getting ready and then there was traveling (and a god awful 14 hour plane ride) and then there was excitement. But here it is! And I can guarantee that I'll be writing here, since my old roommate that I'm staying with reads a lot of fanfiction. So when we're not busy out melting in the ungodly head and humidity we just sit here with her reading and me writing and it's a great time. Enjoy :D

* * *

"I hate you."

"I know. You know who _doesn't_ hate me?"

"I will punch you right in your face."

Ciel laughed, closing his locker and looking over at Alois. He was leaning against his own locker with his arms crossed, looking pissy. "I'm sorry, Alois. I couldn't help it. I'll probably make I'm-having-better-sex-than-you jokes for roughly the rest of my life."

Alois huffed, shifting to face the mostly empty hall, resting his head back against his locker door. "They aren't even _good_ jokes. And you know what, if I knew within a week you'd be having hot, dangerous sex in the school supply closet I never would have told you to go after Michaelis. Fuck, I probably would've done it myself."

Ciel smiled and kissed Alois's cheek, thoroughly enjoying his jealousy. "Love you."

Alois just made a face. "Slut."

Ciel just grinned, picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. "What about you? Don't you have Faustus, anyway?" He started off down the hall, looking back at Alois as he did.

Alois just groaned and reluctantly pushed off from his locker, following him. "He bores me. I need something new. I'm thinking maybe the chem guy."

Ciel wrinkled his nose. "Spears? You're kidding, right? He'd never fuck around with you. He's too much of a stickler for rules and order. And half the time he's here he looks so… bored. Can you imagine if he made that face at you while you were going at it?" Ciel joked about the prospect of Alois trying to hook up with their chemistry teacher, but it bothered him about Claude. While it was true that Alois could just get bored of people, Claude had been so sudden. And he knew he might be imagining it, but there seemed to be a look in Alois's eyes he didn't know whenever he brought him up now.

Alois just sighed in defeat. "I guess. He'd be boring too, wouldn't he? Why did you have to take the only other attractive one who's at least interesting?"

Ciel smirked back at Alois. "There's always Ash."

Alois cried out in shocked disgust, putting his hands on his head. "Ew! The Creepy?! No fucking way! Besides, I think fucking your best friend's aunt's boyfriend is some kinda treason. Also, ew. You're gross and you need to get out."

Ciel just laughed, patting Alois on the shoulder. "Don't worry. If you did go after The Creepy I'd have to just write you off as both a whore _and_ helplessly desperate." Ciel was going to say more about Alois's ridiculous whorishness, but when he looked up he saw that Claude Faustus was walking towards them. At first he thought he was going to walk right past them, but then the history teacher stopped just in front of them, forcing the two to stop as well.

Alois raised an eyebrow up at Faustus, crossing his arms. "What?"

The teacher looked at Alois, calmly raising an eyebrow. "Heading out?"

Alois rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. "Yes, Claude. We're leaving. Class _is_ over. So bother me some other time. I have more important things to do."

Claude just snorted, crossing his arms. "Actually it was Mr. Phantomhive I wanted to speak with. Really Alois, are you so self-centered as to think that you are the only person I'd have interest in speaking with?"

Alois narrowed his eyes, putting an arm through Ciel's. "Well Ciel's leaving too. So go be a vulture at someone else." Alois pulled Ciel around Faustus and on toward the exit.

Ciel frowned, walking quickly to keep up. He looked to Alois, whispering to him, "I knew you two had stopped being a thing, but I thought you were at least on good terms."

Alois didn't say anything, still just looking annoyed. They hadn't made it to the adjoining hall when they heard Claude call at them from behind.

"Ciel, please. I would like a moment."

Ciel slowed, pulling Alois to a stop as well. "Alois, he probably just wants to tell me something about an assignment or something. Just wait outside and I'll be out in a minute, okay?" Really, Ciel had no idea why Claude would want to talk to him. But honestly, he was curious.

Alois made a face. "Fine. But if he tries anything funny just hit him."

Ciel just rolled his eyes, turning back towards their teacher. "Yeah, yeah. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to take care of myself." He talked back down to the hall to Claude before Alois could argue.

The man just smiled down at him once he'd approached. "Ciel. I'm sorry to keep you after class, but I have a few questions for you that will only take a minute, if you wouldn't mind coming by my classroom."

Ciel just shrugged. "Sure." He followed Faustus down the hall, wondering vaguely to himself what it could be that he wanted. They hadn't had any major assignments recently, so it couldn't be that he'd neglected to hand something in. He'd been to class that day, so he hadn't missed anything. He never tried particularly hard in Faustus's class, though he turned in enough work for it not to be a problem. He was at a bit of a loss for what the trouble could be.

Once they had made it to the history classroom they went inside. Faustus crossed the room and instead of sitting behind the desk, simply leaned against it, crossing his arms as he did so. Ciel walked awkwardly across the room. Not really knowing wear to stand, he went over in front of one of the desks in the front near Faustus's desk and leaned slightly against it. "So… you said you had questions for me?"

Claude studied him for a moment before replying. "How many times has he slept with you?"

Ciel blinked, freezing up. At first he had no idea what he was talking about. Did he mean Alois? He _was_ just with him. But why should he assume they were sleeping together? It didn't even make sense. Maybe he'd heard wrong and he meant to say "she." It was reasonable to think that Ciel had a girlfriend, right? Girls had asked him out before. Not that he had any idea why his history teacher would care. Or… Was it possible that he knew about Sebastian?

No. There was no way. How could he? From what he could tell, Alois had stopped seeing Claude before Ciel and Sebastian had started being a thing. And even if that weren't the case, Alois wouldn't have said anything. He knew Alois was a gossip, but only really to him. And part of him also knew that as much of a dick as Alois was, he wouldn't say anything to anyone anyway. He might flaunt his sexual promiscuity to basically everyone, but he knew most people weren't like that. And while he gave Ciel a hard time about really everything under the sun, he also knew that there was a very protective streak in him towards Ciel.

He remembered times when they were younger where that streak had shone through. Ciel had always been small for his age, and when they were little that had meant he was a bit of a target for older kids with a tendency to bully. But Alois had always gotten in their faces, saying shit to piss them off, directing their anger towards himself. He'd been hit a few times, sure, but he'd always laugh it off in their faces and then whine to Ciel about it later. He was a jerk and a whiner, but there had never been a time when he _hadn't _taken a punch for Ciel. And even if he was loud and drank too much, he knew when to shut up, and he was always there with that bottle or really anything else to make him feel normal when Ciel needed it. Alois was the friend he'd grown up with. He had been there for just about everything that had happened in his life. He was fairly certain he wouldn't have survived his parents' deaths if it hadn't been for Alois.

So for these reasons Ciel was certain Alois wouldn't have told Claude about his relationship with Sebastian. He knew Ciel actually had feelings for the man, and would be upset if Sebastian got in trouble for sleeping with a student. But if Alois hadn't told him, how in the world else could he know?

_Unless Sebastian told him._

Ciel shook off the voice in his head. He wouldn't do that. That wasn't the sort of thing you just _told _other teachers.

_Unless he was gloating. Bragging about how he'd banged a student._

That thought painted a picture of Sebastian that Ciel refused to let form in his mind.

So Ciel just stared back at Claude before uttering a most eloquent response. "What?"

"Sebastian Michaelis. How many times has he gotten you in bed?" The man tried to hide his smirk but it crept onto his lips regardless.

Ciel's stomach turned over and he thought he heard his heart skip a beat. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Claude must have seen how Ciel's blood had iced over as a precursor to the burn of distress, and this seemed to amuse him. "Don't play dumb, Ciel. It doesn't suit you."

Ciel didn't say anything. He just looked back up at him, his mind racing to figure out how he could possibly know. His head pounded with ways he could have found out that didn't involve Sebastian telling him.

"Oh don't worry. Sebastian told me all about it. All about _you._ Oh he told me _plenty_ about _you._" The smirk crept all the way onto his face, and he tilted his head to the side as he studied Ciel's reaction.

Ciel felt each pulse as his blood rushed through his veins. "…What do you want?"

Claude looked away for a moment, running a hand through his hair thoughtfully. When he looked back at him his expression had changed. It now looked more… sympathetic. Affectionate, even.

"I'm just concerned for you is all, Ciel. Getting involved with a teacher can be… Well, I'm sure you understand. He's obviously quite a bit older than you. In a relationship like that you need to know you can trust your partner fully. And Sebastian… Well, as someone who's known him for a few years now, I can tell you he's not the most trustworthy person in the world."

Ciel frowned, hugging himself and rubbing his shoulders slightly, hoping to regain feeling in his fingertips. "…What do you mean?"

Claude just shrugged, straightening up from the desk and starting to walk leisurely about the classroom, running his fingertips over the surfaces of desks he passed. "Oh you know. He's just a bit... selfish. Greedy. Lustful. It just concerns me for you to be involved with him, Ciel. Especially hearing some of the things he's said about you. And the things he said before he made advances… Well, frankly, it disgusted me a little. Saying things like that about a student."

Ciel turned his body as Claude walked, watching him closely all the while. "With all due respect, sir, you _were_ sleeping with Alois. You can hardly talk about doing things with students."

Claude stopped for a moment before answering. "That's true. Yes, I was with Alois. But I'm sure you know as well as anyone that any advances made were started by him. And he's hardly someone who can be taken advantage of. And when he showed signs of losing interest, I immediately backed off. These are things that should always be considered when involving yourself with someone with so little experience."

Ciel only snorted. "I'd hardly say Alois has little experience with anything."

_"And when he showed signs of losing interest, I immediately backed off."_ The unfamiliar look in Alois's eyes came back to him, and Ciel felt himself grow ever more guarded.

And then Claude was right in front of Ciel. "Alois is 18 years old. When he involves himself with someone over 30 it hardly matters the amount of experience he has."

Ciel leaned away a little. "…Right."

Claude relaxed a bit, still standing very close to Ciel, but his voice a little softer. "…I'm just worried about you, Ciel. And I wanted to talk to you before you and Sebastian were too deeply involved. I like you, Ciel. I respect you as a person, and I don't like the idea that he could be taking advantage of you. And it's not just a suspicion. In fact, I _know_ he is. He's said some outright disgusting things about you and I'm only concerned for your well-being and safety. Both of mind and of body."

Ciel looked away, trying to ignore the barrage of questions expanding in his head by the second. "Thanks. But I think I can take care of myself."

Claude sighed, taking a small slip of paper off of the corner of his desk and slipping it into Ciel's pocket. Then he reached up and gently touched Ciel's cheek. "I want you to call me if you need anything. And I want you to know you can trust me."

Ciel felt heat blossom under Claude's fingertips, and he immediately pulled away from him, taking steps to the door. "Right. Well, I really need to go. Alois is waiting for me."

Claude simply nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to you soon, Ciel."

Ciel didn't say anything as he quickly left the classroom.

Claude's words went from turning cartwheels in his head to doing loud, vigorous war dances. Suddenly, every shared word, touch, kiss, caress, whisper, and gesture between him and Sebastian was being scrutinized under the harsh light of doubt, every crevice being illuminated for the fear in his heart to see.

No. He couldn't believe the things Claude had said. He didn't want to. There's no way Sebastian would talk about Ciel like that. He had a text that proved it. He cared about Ciel. He really, truly did. Real feelings. Not the kinds of things Claude had said. He'd made it all up. Sebastian hadn't said a word to him.

_But if Sebastian didn't tell Claude about you and him, then who did?_

Ciel didn't know. Every time he convinced himself that Claude had made up everything he kept coming back to that. That was something he couldn't deny. Somehow he knew that he and Sebastian were sleeping together. And he knew it was too far for a complete guess. No, he knew because someone told him. And the only other person who could have done so was Alois.

His friend was waiting for him just outside the school, leaning against a bike rack as he clicked through his phone. Ciel walked right up to him and pushed his phone down out of his face, looking at him very seriously. "Did you tell him about Sebastian and me?"

Ciel must have looked even more manic than he sounded, because Alois blinked at him in awed surprise a few times before answering. "Claude? No. Fuck, no, of course not. Why would I do that? Ciel what did he say to you?"

Ciel didn't answer him, his voice rising. "I'm fucking serious, Alois. _Did you tell him anything?_"

Alois just shook his head, looking more confused all the while. "No! Ciel, I promise I didn't say anything. What the fuck happened?"

Ciel just turned away from him, walking quickly in the direction of his house. After a moment of stunned silence Alois ran over to catch pace with him. "Ciel, what happened with Claude? What did he say? If he upset you I'll go fuck him up."

Ciel just shook his head. "Nothing. I'll talk to you about it later. I need to go home."

"Are you sure? We can go back to my house and we can talk about it. I'm serious Ciel, you're freaking me out here." When he looked over at him, Alois looked genuinely concerned, which wasn't something Ciel saw very often.

Ciel slowed his pace, wishing the rapid fire thoughts darting around in his head would do the same. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. But I really can't talk about it right now. Give me a few hours and I'll call you, okay? Then maybe I'll come over to tell you about it. I just… I need to think. I'm fine."

Alois nodded reluctantly, looking unconvinced. "…Okay. Just… call me soon, okay?"

Ciel nodded, crossing the street. Alois watched him for a moment on the sidewalk before heading off towards his own house. Ciel felt bad for being so curt with him, but his brain was too scattered to work out anything politer. He believed Alois when he said he didn't tell Claude about him and Sebastian, and the only alternative left wasn't anything that his mind was ready to accept.

Claude had talked about Sebastian as a person leagues different from anything Ciel knew. He had made out Sebastian as the exact kind of lecherous, exploitative person that Ciel had always felt so blessed that he wasn't.

He walked the rest of the way home but he didn't remember it. The moment he walked in he went into the kitchen where his aunt was sitting at the table with a cookbook open. Without a word he went over and hugged her.

Angelina blinked in surprise for a moment before hugging him back. "Hi, Ciel. Is everything alright?"

Ciel didn't say anything. He just hugged her tighter.

Angelina just sighed and closed the book, pushing her chair back and pulling him into her lap. Even though Ciel was 18 now and significantly larger than the child she used to hold, that didn't stop her from doing this occasionally. She hugged Ciel tightly and waited for him to speak.

After a moment he looked at her. "…I think I have relationship problems."

"Oh sweetie." Angelina sighed and kissed Ciel's temple. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ciel shook his head. Talking about it would mean telling her not only that he was dating someone of the male species, but one who was basically her age. And his teacher. That he had sex with in the supply room at school. And who may or may not be taking advantage of him for possibly very unsavory reasons. Yes, the idea of telling her the details of his love life was sounding less and less appealing by the moment. "Not really."

She just nodded in understanding. "Alright, dear. You just let me know if there's anything you need." She kissed his temple again before opening her cookbook up and setting it on Ciel's lap. "Why don't you tell me what you want for dinner?"

Ciel flipped through a few pages of the book before settling on a pasta dish. "This one."

Angelina smiled and marked the page. "Perfect. I'll go out now and get the groceries and then you can help me with it when I get back. Sound good?"

Ciel nodded, standing. "Sounds good."

A lot of the friends Ciel had had in the past had the perception that his aunt was just a socialite who didn't seem to pay much attention to Ciel (especially if they'd attended any social gatherings with her in attendance). But most people Ciel knew weren't around him at home enough to really understand the depth of their relationship. In truth, it was probably only Alois who really knew them well enough to understand it.

Angelina was Ciel's mother's sister. The two had been very close growing up, and Ciel could only imagine what it must have been like for her to lose her sister and best friend. And yet after her sister's death Angelina had packaged up her grief and tucked it away someplace inside herself, hidden away where it couldn't become a hindrance in the next chapter of her life: that in which she became Ciel's only parental figure.

Angelina had given up most everything in her past life to raise Ciel on her own. She'd moved out of the city to come live in what had been her sister's house. She had left behind her friends, her job, and her entire life to come here with Ciel. He had offered to come live in her apartment with her, but she had opted to move here so Ciel could stay with his friends in the neighborhood and school district he'd grown up in. Without so much as a thought she had given up her entire world to come take care of Ciel, even as she worked through the same grief and loss.

All it had taken were those first few days for Ciel to fully understand that now he was her entire world. The only family she had left, Ciel was also all she still had of the sister she loved. She had raised him like a child of her own, spoiling him like a prince while letting him make and learn from all of his own mistakes. And now, at the age of 18, she still let him sit and her lap and choose what was for dinner when she knew he was upset.

Part of him knew that if he told her about Sebastian she would have nothing but love and caring words for him. Mostly he was afraid of the humiliation. Afraid that if what Claude said was true that he'd have to admit to her that he'd given into naiveté and a childish trusting nature. He wanted her to believe that he was mature enough not to fall victim to that kind of exploitation. And he was afraid of being pitied.

So instead of telling his aunt why there was a weight in his stomach that felt like it was wearing him into the very ground, he went upstairs to his room while she left to go grocery shopping.

Ciel went over and lay down on his bed. He picked up his phone to a new text to Sebastian and stared at it for a good twenty minutes but could think of nothing to say. He was considering digging around to find the bottle of tequila that Alois had given him when the doorbell rang.

Ciel groaned and rolled over. His aunt and Alois were about the only people he would tolerate right now, and neither of them would ring the bell. Knowing it might be important, he pulled himself from the bed and dragged himself out of his room and down the stairs in complete sluggishness, not caring much that he was making whomever it was wait. Once he opened the door, he cared even less.

"Oh. Hi Ash." The enthusiasm in Ciel's voice matched that of greeting a dead slug.

"Good afternoon, Ciel." The smile plastered on Ash's face didn't reach his eyes, and would have disturbed Ciel much more if his mind weren't on other things.

"Yeah. Well, my aunt is out at the store. Do you want to come in and wait for her, or should I have her call you when she gets back?" Ciel knew he should take the obvious annoyance out of his voice for his aunt's sake, but he couldn't really bring himself to. Ash displeased him on a good day. Needless to say, he didn't thrill him on a day when he was questioning the motivations of the man he cared about most.

Ash just leaned casually in the doorway, running a hand through his colorless hair. "Mm. I see. Well, if you'd be kind enough to let me in I'd be happy to wait for her. And even happier if you'd keep me company in the interim." He smiled again, tilting his head to the side.

Ciel groaned internally. Frankly, vapid, strained conversation with Ash was about the last thing he wanted right now. Except maybe to consume a vat of boiled snake innards. Maybe.

"Fine." Ciel just turned and walked into the living room, leaving Ash to invite himself in. Part of him felt bad for his rudeness, but then a larger part really gave exactly zero fucks, and it was that part that ended up beating the smaller to a lifeless pulp at the back of his brain. Yep. No fucks.

Ciel sat down stiffly on the couch, crossing his arms immediately. But then, even through his veil of personal frustrations, it still managed to surprise him when Ash sat down right next to him on the couch instead of on one of the numerous other seating options. Ciel reflexively shifted a few inches away from him, not meeting his eyes.

"So, Ciel. How is school?" Despite the oddness of his general behavior, his tone was casual.

Ciel only shrugged. "Well… you would know, wouldn't you? You're the vice principal. I'm pretty sure you have access to my grades."

"Yes, that's true. But I didn't just mean your grades, you know. I am aware that you've had to start tutoring sessions with your English teacher. How is that going?" He leaned against the couch, draping an arm across the back of it, and consequently behind Ciel as well. Ciel resisted the urge to flinch away in disgust. He didn't really have any rational reason for it, but lately Ash had really started to just… creep him out.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. They're fine. Just English. And stuff. Are you sure you don't want me to call my aunt and tell her you're here? She might hurry to get back if she knew she was keeping you waiting." _And then you could leave me the fuck alone._

Ash just smiled back at him. "Don't worry yourself. I wouldn't want to make her feel rushed. Besides, I never really get to talk to you much one on one. And I think that's important. Don't you?" He reached forward with the hand that was resting on the back of the couch to gently brush Ciel's hair back from his face, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

Ciel instantly recoiled from him, shifting a little further down the couch. He had had too many strange, random men touching him today and it was starting to get on his last nerve. "Actually, not really. Why does it matter if we talk? You're only dating my aunt. So what." It was out of him before he could stop it, and yet he still found he didn't regret saying it. He had just had it with all of the weirdness of this fucking day.

Ciel had expected Ash to reprimand him for his rudeness, but he only laughed. "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought that with all things considered… Well, if might do you good to get used to me, Ciel. You never know what could happen."

Ciel didn't get the chance to ask him what the hell he meant by that, because just then the front door opened, and he heard his aunt call out to him.

"Ciel? Ciel, darling, I'm back. Be a dear and come help me with these- Oh! Ash! I didn't know you were coming by tonight, what a pleasant surprise." Angelina had entered the room mid-sentence, leaning one of a few grocery bags against the arm of a nearby chair.

Ciel instantly stood and crossed the room to her, taking all of the bags from her and heading to the kitchen.

"Dear you didn't have to take _all_ of them." And when Ciel glanced back to reply he saw that Ash had gone over to kiss his aunt on the cheek, and he went immediately into the kitchen.

"It's no problem. Really. But I'm actually not feeling too well, so is it okay if I go lie down before dinner?" He called back to her from the kitchen as he hurriedly put away the groceries, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between himself and Ash as he could.

"Are you alright? Do you want anything? I picked up some basic medicine while I was out if you think something would help." She walked into the kitchen, Ash trailing behind her from her hand.

"Nope. I'm fine. I'm just going to go lie down." He was walking briskly past his aunt when she caught him with an arm and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry you're having problems, dear. I'm here if you need me." She whispered kindly into his ear and kissed his cheek before releasing him.

Ciel just smiled and kissed her cheek in return before whispering back, "I know. Love you." She smiled at him before he went quickly from the room and up the stairs to his own.

After closing and locking the door behind him, Ciel went over and collapsed onto his bed, utterly exhausted.

Ciel couldn't remember a day in his life when he'd jumped through so many emotional hoops. First there was the anxiety about seeing Sebastian after having drunk texted a confession of love to him (among other things). Then the not unwelcome surprise of their rather steamy encounter in the supply room. Then his talk with Claude, which was now making him question everything he thought he knew about his relationship with Sebastian. And now Ash was being weird and creepy and implying things that he was either too tired or too stupid to understand. He didn't know what any of it meant, and it was making his head hurt to think about.

Really, he was realizing, he could fill a book with all of the things he didn't know right now. He didn't know if Sebastian's text was real and truthful. He didn't know what Claude knew about their relationship, or why he even cared. He didn't know why he'd made it such a point to Ciel that he was there for him. He didn't know what his relationship with Sebastian was or if it was even anything at all like he thought it was. He didn't know if Sebastian was using him like Claude had insinuated. He didn't know _what _Claude knew and what Sebastian had told him. He didn't know why Ash was acting so strangely or why he'd touched him today or what the hell he was talking about about it being important that they got to know each other. He didn't know what he wanted or how he felt about _any_ of it or if what he'd texted to Sebastian was real or just drunken ramblings.

_No. That was real. I know that much._

Ciel rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow and considering smothering himself with it. Then he decided that would take far too much effort, and just sat up on his elbows and took his phone out, staring once again at the blank text to Sebastian.

He couldn't even pretend to lie to himself about it. He _did_ care about Sebastian. A lot. Maybe even enough to say that he loved him. He knew it was soon and naïve and probably stupid of him. But he didn't care. The very thought that Sebastian might be lying to him was enough to make his stomach feel like a deadweight, and his heart ache so badly he thought he might drown in the pain of it. He couldn't just sit here like this without knowing. He needed to talk to him. He needed to _know_.

So instead of dwelling any longer on his inner turmoil and self-pity, he put a proverbial pen to paper and decided to ask him right out.

"_I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on. Do you care about me, or are you using me like some kind of exploitative sick fuck who should be hung from the highest tree for his disgusting, insensitive advances on a young, innocent student?"_

There. That ought to get his attention. Now where did Alois put that bottle of tequila?

* * *

I've noticed that when I write characters they lean a lot. On like literally everything. But that's okay. Anyway, you know how when you edit and rewrite something enough times you hate it so much you never want to read it again? Yeah. I'm there now. Again. But that's also okay, because everything in here was still really important and I really needed to get it done. And I'm sorry to those of you who want to hit me with dead fish over conflict coming from both Claude and Ash. I'll take the fish-beatings. Also it was my friend Mackenzie who started referring to Ash as "The Creepy" with me and it stuck enough to end up in here. So yo bitch you get partial credit for that one. Anyway, much love from Hong Kong and I'll see you soon~


	15. If Our Story Were a Ship's Sail at Sea

So I was looking back at a previous chapter for reference and I found a typo and nearly beat myself into the ground with popsicle sticks and baking sheets. I swear I'm halfway done with undergrad I promise I can spell. That was embarrassing. The problem with editing and re-editing so many times is that once you've read over something enough times you stop seeing some of the words and the damn things slip past you. So I'm sorry if you must ever be subjected to such carelessness again. Feel free to join in the party of throwing lychees at me if the case arises.

Also. Originally I got about a thousand words into this and then the next day my external hard drive decided it was done with this world and I had to come to terms with the devastating fact that I wouldn't have access to any of my files until I was back in the states and could get the data professionally retrieved. But I decided I couldn't wait until then to keep writing, so I had to restart it from scratch and practically tore my hair out over it. So here is take two on chapter fifteen. Also I don't know why any of you put up with my rambling enjoy c:

* * *

"_I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on. Do you care about me, or are you using me like some kind of exploitative sick fuck who should be hung from the highest tree for his disgusting, insensitive advances on a young, innocent student?"_

When Sebastian saw Ciel's text he was just sitting down to a dinner of delivery pizza and expensive red wine. He figured this did well to illustrate his priorities.

Sebastian just stared at his phone for a good several minutes, hoping that if he reread it enough times the meaning if it would reveal itself to him and make the world clear and bright again.

Sebastian had been in his fair share of fights with any number of his significant others, male and female. How many times before had he heard "I shouldn't have to tell you why I'm angry" and "how can you be so fucking unperceptive" and "how can't you fucking get it you stupid son of a bitch" over the years? He knew he wasn't the most perceptive person in the world when it came to relationships. But at least in all of those cases he could at least _tell_ when he was pissing them off, even if he didn't really know _why_. Never before had the accusations struck him so completely out of blue as this. And the suddenness of it all wasn't the only thing about it that made no god damn sense.

In the message Ciel described him using words like "exploitative" and "disgusting" and "insensitive." It took Sebastian a good few minutes to wrap his head around how Ciel could possibly be talking about _him_. The things Ciel described him as were the very things that Sebastian ascribed to the kind of scum-of-the-earth assholes that were the stereotype of their current relationship. The kind of asshole that Sebastian was so loathe to become that he figured he'd string himself up from that tree himself if he ever even resembled it.

And it was the way he started the message, too. Asking Sebastian what was going on, as if he were caught in the midst of some confusing and maddening circumstance that he'd either only just found himself in, or that had just settled around them. And he supposed that yes, they _were_ in a bit of a confusing circumstance. They were teacher and student, both male, in a romantic and sexual relationship that had one hell of an age gap. But really, it's not like this was anything new. The way Ciel put it made it seem like something upsetting was happening _right now._

And how could that be? The last time that Sebastian had seen Ciel they were in what would politely be described as very cheery moods towards each other. It was only hours ago that they were sharing secret kisses and longing glances, still fresh in the afterglow of their sexual escapades in the supply room.

Was that it? Was it the sex? Sure, it had been significantly different from their first time. It had been a much more… carnal experience. It had been rougher than before, and in a more exposed environment. But Ciel had seemed to garner as much pleasure and excitement from it all as Sebastian had. Had he completely misread him? Had he, in actuality, felt uncomfortable? Coerced? Forced, even? That couldn't be. There was no way. He had enjoyed it as much as Sebastian had.

No. He couldn't say that definitively. He refused to put thoughts and feelings into Ciel's head just because they were what was most convenient for him. This might not be the kind of relationship that the sexist, domineering, controlling, dismissive, and manipulative masculine figure was generally ascribed to, but it could easily be very similar. Sebastian might be older and stronger than Ciel, and in the dominant position, but he would not become that man. Not this time. Not with Ciel.

He couldn't take the speculation anymore. He needed to _know_ what was going on with Ciel. Now.

So he closed the message and called him.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

For a moment he entertained the notion that he wasn't going to answer. The thought turned his stomach.

"Hi." When Ciel's voice came over the line Sebastian let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Ciel. Look, I-" But Sebastian was cut off.

"You've reached Ciel Phantomhive. I'm not available right now, but if you leave me a message I might get back to you." _Beep._

Sebastian stared dumbly at his phone as the voicemail message finished. The beep snapped him out of it, and he hung up his phone and set it down on the kitchen table in front of him. Sebastian hadn't seen Ciel's message when he'd first sent it. He'd left his phone in his bag when he'd gotten home, and had gone about his business as usual for a while before checking it. By the time he saw Ciel's text it had been a good half an hour since it had been sent, so it wasn't unreasonable to think Ciel didn't have his phone on him anymore.

But what if that wasn't why he hadn't answered? What of something had happened to him? What if he was hurt? A flurry of worst-case-scenarios flew about in Sebastian's head, and for a moment he considered going over to his house to check on him and see for himself.

But part of him realized that wouldn't be the best idea. While on a normal day Ciel would probably be pleased to have Sebastian show up at his window, on a day when it seemed he was mad at him the surprise visit would probably not be so welcome. And he refused to do anything that might be taken as defensive or aggressive.

Sebastian had started to sort through his remaining options when his phone buzzed with a new text. In his haste to open it he managed to drop the phone onto the floor, drawing from him several largely unwarranted obscenities. After his brief moment of a loss of coordination, he managed to open the text.

"_I'm eating dinner with my aunt. What is it?"_

Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. _He's okay. Nothing's wrong._

Well, something _was_ wrong, actually. Ciel would have had to have been upset to have sent the message he had. And yet now he seemed normal enough. Not that he could tell anything from a text message alone.

"_I got your message. What's wrong? Did I do something? Can we talk about it?"_

Sebastian realized even as he sent it how needy and pathetic it sounded, but he didn't care. In most situations, even past ones with Ciel, he covered his true feelings with a veil of practiced nonchalance, a tactic which had always, while effective at hiding his own distress, made him come off as cold and unfeeling. In this circumstance he would let no defense mechanism of his pride freeze his true intentions in a frigid ruse of uncaring.

"_I can't right now, and I told my aunt I'd watch a movie with her and Ash afterwards. I can text though."_

Okay. He could work with that. While he knew that the wait between texts would be unbearable, he would take what he could get.

"_That's fine, whatever works for you. I need to know what you're talking about, Ciel. I need to know what I've done to upset you."_

After sending the message Sebastian drained his wine glass and considered pouring another. But he decided against it, refusing to run the risk of intoxication when talking to Ciel.

The minutes ticked by as he waited, swirling the last drops of wine around the bottom of his wineglass. He started to wonder if maybe Ciel wasn't going to text him back at all. Maybe he was so disgusted with him that he'd given up trying to talk to him. Maybe he was too angry to trust himself with conversation. Or maybe, and worst yet, he just didn't care enough to respond.

This thought sent a whole new chill down into his stomach. Anger he could deal with. Hatred he could deal with. At least there was some passion in it. But the thought that Ciel had reached a point of indifference toward him was more than he could bear.

When Sebastian's phone buzzed with Ciel's reply he felt his heart jump into his throat, only to feel awash with new confusion once he read it.

"_I talked to Claude, Sebastian."_

Claude? He said it like that was supposed to mean something to him. What did he mean, he talked to Claude? What could _Claude_ possibly have said to upset him so badly? And about Sebastian, no less.

It hadn't escaped him, however, that the things Ciel had accused him of being were the very things that in Sebastian's mind described the image of Claude that he used as the model of everything he refused to be in his relationship with Ciel.

"_Claude? What about Claude? I don't know what you're talking about. What did he say to you?"_

What was Claude doing talking to Ciel? He suddenly remembered the phone call he'd had with Claude a few nights before. When he'd asked Sebastian how things were going with Ciel. Once he remembered the strange interest he'd shown in their relationship he started to develop a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"_Don't fuck with me, Sebastian. I know you told him about us. He knows. And I know Alois didn't tell him and I sure as fuck didn't, so that only leaves you. So don't even try to lie. And he told me about the other things you've been telling him, too. About how you bragged about getting me in bed, with plenty of sick details to go along. And how you talked about what you were going to do before you even made advances so FUCK YOU."_

Sebastian just stared at his phone again in sheer disbelief at what he was reading. _This_ is what Claude was telling Ciel? Grotesque, awful lies about him that made him seem like an exploitative near-pedophile who had been preying on Ciel for sick, twisted reasons? His hands were shaking as he replied.

"_He's lying, Ciel. I swear to you, not a word of that is true. Yes, it's true that it's because of me he knows about us. After I kissed you that first day I went to him to ask for advice because I knew he was in a relationship with a student already. And yes, I said your name, and I know I shouldn't have. But all I said was that I'd kissed you, I swear to god. And I haven't said a word to him about us since Ciel you /have/ to believe me."_

Sebastian had intended to wait for a response, but another message was open before he could stop himself.

"_Claude is a lying son of a bitch, Ciel. You don't have a reason in the world to believe a word he's saying. And you have /every/ reason to believe me. You have seen me at my most intimate. You know me. You /know/ I'm not the kind of person he's saying that I am. Ciel, I love you. And I would never in a thousand years do anything to hurt you."_

And it was true. He knew he'd only been with Ciel for a short number a days. He knew that on a basic level they barely knew each other. But what he felt for Ciel was unlike anything he'd ever felt for anyone else before, and he wasn't afraid to call it love.

Sebastian had been with men and women of a very wide range of ages, backgrounds, and personalities. He'd been engaged once and even nearly a parent. But in all of the years of his adult life he'd never had a relationship that he was so afraid of losing as this one. In every other fight he'd had he'd immediately jumped on the defensive, matching anger levels and yelling volumes, carrying out shouting matches to their closure. But now not even a ghost of a single aggressive thought towards Ciel had formed in his mind. All he felt on his side of the argument was fear. Fear of losing him.

He didn't have any rational reason for the strength of his feelings. Not a one. They barely knew each other. They'd slept with each other twice. On the surface their relationship was as superficial as Claude and Alois's had been. But while in fights with previous lovers at a certain point he was already packing bags in his head and imagining the plane ticket out, in this one any step from the ship would be into the sea. He'd drown before a mental suitcase had unlatched, his lungs to fill with water before a last goodbye could leave them. He had no idea what this was and there wasn't a thing he could do for it. Ciel was home and he had no place else to go.

He couldn't wait for a response. Anger and panic and indignation and every other form of passion was coursing through him, and he could no sooner sit still than bang it out of his head by force. Without really thinking about the consequences, he stood up and left his apartment.

The walk to Ciel's house wasn't a long one. At a walking pace it took about twenty minutes. Sometime between when he'd gotten home from the school and now it had started raining, but he hardly noticed how oddly appropriate the weather had been lately. Without even planning so far ahead as his first word, he walked right up to the front door and knocked on it.

After a moment or two the door opened at the hand of a woman with dark red hair who could only be Ciel's aunt. She blinked at him for a moment, taking in the man's sopping and clearly emotional appearance. "…Hello. How can I help you?"

Sebastian stared awkwardly at her for a moment, running a hand through his already dripping hair. "Um… ahem." He straightened up, trying his best to sound as professional as he could through the haze of his range of emotions. "I'm Sebastian Michaelis. Ciel's English teacher. Is he around?"

There was the sound of movement from within, and to Sebastian's internal dismay he saw Ash Landers approach the door. He remembered now that Ciel had mentioned Ash being there in one of his messages, but he'd been so caught up with the rest of the conversation he'd dismissed it without much thought. Now he vaguely remembered hearing from someone that the ass of a vice principal was dating Ciel's aunt, and he quietly cursed himself for not considering this factor in his rash and not fully reasoned plans.

Ash stepped up next to Ciel's aunt, leaning against the doorframe and looking thoroughly amused. "Sebastian. What could you possibly be doing here this late in the evening? And really, you're dripping of weather."

Sebastian considered letting his anger towards Claude funnel through him towards Ash, but he restrained himself, knowing it would win him few points with Ciel if he knocked his aunt's boyfriend unconscious. So instead, he forced a smile back at him that he hoped conveyed all of the resentment for him that he felt. "I'm here to have a word with Ciel. It won't be long, though I hope I'm not intruding."

Ciel's aunt only shrugged, turning back to the inside of the house and calling out, "Ciel! One of your teachers is here to see you." She turned back to Sebastian, smiling and stepping back from the door. "Please, come in where it's dry."

The woman's warmth was infectious, and he smiled back at her kindly despite himself. "Thank you, ma'am. I'm sorry if I've disturbed you." He took a few steps into the house, catching the annoyed look on Ash's face as he pushed the door shut behind Sebastian. He took pleasure from it inwardly.

She laughed and shook her head. "Of course not. Any teacher of Ciel's is welcome. Though I hope he isn't in any trouble."

Sebastian shook his head, smiling at her. "Trouble? Never. He's a model student." Which was a lie, of course. Ciel didn't turn in half as many assignments as he'd need to to be considered a _good_ student, let along a model one. Fortunately for him he was sleeping with his teacher, so it was hardly an issue. A pang of distress shot through him when for a moment he almost considered the thought that that might not be the case anymore.

After only a moment Ciel was there in the entryway, staring at Sebastian. Other than shock his expression gave away nothing. Sebastian felt his stomach turn over, fearing for a moment Ciel would either start yelling at him or simply turn away in disinterest, but he only nodded.

"Oh. Mr. Michaelis. What is it?" His voice was carefully controlled so as not to give anything away, which Sebastian figured was all the better, because Ash was watching him carefully.

"Just a matter with your test from today. I would wait until tomorrow, but they need to be in by the early morning, and I'd rather give you the benefit of the doubt than mark you off for it without speaking with you first." Sebastian nodded, leveling his voice to match Ciel's.

The boy's aunt frowned at him, crossing her arms. "Ciel you didn't tell me you had a test today. Did it go alright? Well, I supposed that's something you need to discuss with Mr. Michaelis." She looked back at Sebastian, concern clouding her brow. "Can I get you anything to drink while you're here?"

Sebastian just shook his head politely. "No thank you, ma'am. I'd hate to be any trouble. I just need to speak with Ciel for a few minutes, then I'll be on my way."

Ciel's aunt only nodded, taking Ash's hand and pulling him into a nearby room. "Come along, Ash. Let's give them their privacy." Ash glanced suspiciously at Sebastian before following her out of the entryway.

Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other wordlessly for a moment before Ciel turned and walked down the hall. "We'll go into the parlor where we won't be bothered."

After only a moment's hesitation Sebastian followed. They walked in silence for a few moments before Ciel turned off into the parlor, closing the door behind them.

The room and its furniture were of a pleasant dark wood. There was a couch on the wall to the right and a large oil painting of a Florentine afternoon on the left. At the back of the room was a modest oak bar, and behind it a handsome liquor cabinet. The room smelled pleasantly of wood and cigar smoke.

"Look, Sebastian, I don't know-" But Ciel was cut off mid-sentence.

Sebastian had told himself when he'd first arrived that he wasn't going to make a single advance on Ciel until things were sorted. He didn't want to do anything that had the potential to upset him or make him uncomfortable. But the moment they were alone together it was like he couldn't control himself.

Once Ciel had turned around Sebastian had him against the door. He took care not to actually touch him, but their bodies were within inches of each other, Sebastian's hands pressed flat against the door on either side of Ciel. Sebastian looked down at him with hair falling in front of his eyes, droplets of water falling from it onto the boy's upturned face.

"Ciel not a word of it is true. I swear to you I would never hurt you. _Never_." He pulled his palms back and then hit them back against the door again with the emphasis. He regretted it immediately, checking his intensity and pulling back sharply from him, inwardly kicking himself for his momentary loss of control.

But Ciel only took his hand unflinchingly, nodding. "I know."

Sebastian stopped, looking at him uncertainly and hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. "…You know?"

"Yes, Sebastian, I_ know_. I was trying to tell you before you had your freak out just now. But I know that Claude was lying." He smiled up at him, lacing his fingers through Sebastian's and pulling their hands to his chest. "I talked to Alois just after I messaged you and he said that Claude was an ass, and the reason why he stopped seeing him was because of some of the things he'd been saying about me. He was afraid of upsetting me so he hadn't told me before, but after he saw how upset I was today after talking to him he decided it was best I know. He said not to listen to a word he says because he's a lying son of a bitch." He stood on his toes to kiss Sebastian's cheek. "And I trust Alois. So you're fine."

Once the reality of the situation sunk in, Sebastian just wrapped his arms around Ciel, pulling him tightly against him and kissing him deeply. He wrapped one arm tightly around his waist, his other hand going into his hair to hold him close as he kissed him. After a moment Ciel kissed him back, holding onto him nearly as tightly. When Sebastian finally broke their kiss they were both out of breath.

"Well, it's good to know that you trust Alois even if you don't trust me." He smiled down at him before kissing him again, relaxing as his relief flowed through him.

Ciel smiled, kissing his cheek again. "You know, it's probably not a good thing when someone trusts the word of Alois Trancy over yours."

Sebastian shrugged, kissing all over Ciel's face. "I'll take what I can get."

Ciel just smiled playfully at him, kissing his nose. "He also said that if you were ever an ass for real he'd fill your teacher's box with rotten plums and dead bees and then tell the school you're gay for the Creepy."

Sebastian just laughed, holding Ciel more tightly to him. "Remind me to hit the kid after I shake his hand." Sebastian kissed him again before reluctantly setting him down, moving to take his hands instead.

Ciel rested his head against Sebastian's chest, looking at ease. They stood there like that for several minutes, each of them just basking in the relief of either the truth that the man he loved was everything he thought he was, or that the other understood his loyalty.

After a bit Sebastian looked down at Ciel, gently stroking his hair. "I should let you get back to your aunt and Ash. I think it's been about as long as I could reasonably be asking you about a test question."

Ciel nodded, reluctantly letting go of him. "Yeah. And with the Creepy around we really shouldn't be raising any suspicion.

Sebastian chuckled a little. "Why do you call him that? I mean, I get it. He is slimy and a real dick. But I'm not sure that I'd ever call him particularly _creepy_."

Ciel made a face. "Yeah well he's not dating your aunt."

Sebastian just nodded. "Fair enough. Now come on, I need to get going. There are some things I need to take care of." He gently touched Ciel's cheek and kissed him softly before pulling him aside and opening the parlor door.

The two of them went back out into the hall, trying to keep their composure as level and natural as was possible. Ciel smiled at Sebastian before heading into the room off the entryway. When he walked by Sebastian glanced into the room and caught Ash's shrewd look, but walked briskly from the house without giving it the slightest attention.

It didn't take long, as he started back to his apartment, for the glow of happiness that Ciel had left him with to give way to anger towards Claude. And what Ciel had said about Alois's information had only added fuel to the flame. As he was walking he pulled out his phone and texted Ciel for Alois's phone number, saying he had questions for him about Claude. Without hesitation Ciel supplied it.

Despite the rain, Sebastian didn't wait until he was home to call him. Alois answered on the third ring.

"Yeah? Who is this?" Alois sounded bored, and, thankfully, sober.

"This is Sebastian Michaelis." He tried his hardest not to let any of the anger he was feeling come through his tone.

There was a moment of silence before Alois responded. "…Right. Okay. What do you want?" He tried to sound annoyed, but Sebastian could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"I want to know what Claude has said about Ciel. All of it." He tried to scale back his intensity, but it hardly worked.

"Oooh. I see. So you guys worked it out. Okay, well good. Claude's an ass anyway. Regardless of how I feel about you two being whatever the fuck it is you two are, as long as Claude is getting the shit end of it that's fine with me." Alois didn't try in the slightest to mask the resentment in his voice, and it made Sebastian wonder what exactly had gone on in their relationship. "Well I'm pretty sure he has some weird infatuation with Ciel. He'd mention him early on when we were together but I didn't really think it meant anything. I thought he was just showing interest in my friends or some shit. Not that that really made any sense, because I'd hardly say our relationship was the type where you gave a fuck about the other person's life. But anyway, after a while he just got really weird about it. About the time when you two started being a thing he started getting angry and I didn't know why. He started saying weird, sick shit about Ciel when we were together and he called me by his name once when we fucked. Which would piss me the fuck off anyway because you don't imply weird shit about Ciel for any reason, but the kind of shit we were doing when he said it… Yeah, well, if even _I'm_ kind of grossed out by a sex thing you know it's bad, okay. Anyway, he was getting into weird, fetishy shit with what we were doing and he kept bringing Ciel into it in some way or another so I peaced out. I'm not surprised he lied to Ciel to try to fuck you guys up."

When Sebastian didn't say anything for several seconds, Alois spoke again, his tone a little concerned. "Michaelis? You there?"

When Sebastian spoke his voice was calm. "Yes, thank you, Alois. You've been a lot of help. If you see Ciel before I do tomorrow, give him my best."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. See ya." And he hung up, still slightly concerned.

By now Sebastian had made it to his apartment, but hadn't gone in. He stood there in the rain for several minutes, letting it soak through his clothes to his skin. After only a moment more of thinking he took his keys from his pocket and opened his car door.

He started the car and pulled from his driveway with more speed than was necessary. Once he was on the road he put his car in gear in shot off down the street, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly enough that his knuckles whitened from the strain.

He drove entirely from memory, thinking back to a time at the end of the summer when he and several other teachers had met at Claude's house for a meeting. The school had been temporarily closed as they did work on the ducts, and the history teacher had offered to host the staff meeting at his house. He remembered that at the time, sitting in mismatched house chairs and crammed into a living room, he had lamented the loss of his university days again, envisioning the expansive campus he had left for high school teaching life. But now he was more than slightly glad about the setting for that particular staff meeting.

Sebastian only nearly got himself lost once and had to double back only twice. The focus of his mind was stretched to breaking point, the anticipation pressing up like pins and needles on the swollen pulse of his hatred.

After a half an hour of time that Sebastian hardly felt through his growing rage, he had pulled up to the curb in front of Claude Faustus's house.

He got out of his car and walked up to the front door. He stood outside of it for only a number of seconds before pounding on it with a closed fist. After a few minutes Claude opened the door, raising his eyebrows at seeing it was Sebastian who had been banging on it.

Claude opened his mouth to speak, but before one word had escaped his lips Sebastian had cocked back his fist and punched him full on in the face with all of his strength.

* * *

Yaaay fist fights. Anyway. I've decided it would help my mind to focus if I had multiple projects to work between. I think I might do an Attack on Titan something or other, but that remains to be seen if I have the discipline. So that said, if anyone enjoys my writing style enough to put up with my rambling author's notes (which would kind of blow my mind) feel free to throw any suggestions my way. Maybe some one shot prompts or other possible AUs, Black Butler or otherwise. And I am a pairingslut, so all's good there. And I have every intention of doing a companion story at some point to get perspective on Alois and Claude's relationship, so there's always that if you dig the pairing, though it's a ways off.

And on an unrelated note, I have greatly enjoyed the longer reviews lately. It really makes me glad to know the kinds of things you're appreciating in the story. Stay great guys. :D


	16. With Jaws that Bite and Claws that Catch

Yes. Yes, this chapter is indeed nearly 13,000 words long. And before anyone starts throwing fruit at me for another dream sequence, hear me out. For one, this is likely the most fun I've ever had basically ever. Even with the fact that it took me an obscene number of hours. There is also more plot in this chapter than like anything else so far, which is super rad. Also, you guys totally know that there was no way to continue the story just yet from Ciel's perspective. I mean, come on. Claude just got punched in the face. Clearly we have to follow that next ;)

So I hope you enjoy it c: It may be my favorite thing I've ever written ever. And have fun finding metaphor! You won't have to look very hard :)

* * *

_When Ciel opened his eyes he found he was seated on a small stool in the middle of a meadow._

_It was very pleasant out. The slight breeze was stirring the unkempt grasses around him, creating a sound like thistle whispers. The sky was a pale watercolor blue, with cotton wisp clouds skirting across it in ladies-in-waiting dances. The air was cool and pleasant, the soft warmth of the sun brushing strokes of afternoon caresses across Ciel's skin._

_When he looked down he saw he was wearing a dress. The skirt was made of many layers of eyeleted cloth lace and hung-out-to-dry cotton. The skirts were in pale blues and soft whites, fluttering slightly in the soft breeze. He wore silky stockings and simple black shoes. When he reached up with one hand to his head he felt the soft bow of silken ribbon that was tied there._

_In his lap, nestled in a nest of his skirts was a small ceramic bowl of what appeared to be cottage cheese. He lifted a spoonful of it to his mouth, recognizing it for its creaminess and mild taste. He sat there, idly enjoying the clear spring day and his bowl of cottage cheese, when suddenly he was surprised to hear a voice come from the grass beside him._

_Ciel looked down and started to see a large black spider sitting on a rock there. The thing was the size of a salad plate, its long legs stretched out beside it and patiently tapping the rock. In reflex Ciel stood, holding the bowl tightly to his chest and instantly considering running away._

"_Oh do relax, child," the spider drawled, its voice deep and velvety, "you don't have the slightest thing to fear from me. I'm only a spider."_

_Ciel considered the spider for a moment. "I also have no reason to believe that you won't bite me or worse if I come near you. I was cautioned away from spiders like you." He tried to make his voice sound strong and unwavering, yet he felt the tug of fear at the back of his throat and it threatened to shake his words._

"_And who could have told you such a thing? Hmm?" The spider turned itself in a circle upon its rock, and even though it had no eyebrows, Ciel could sense it raising one at him._

_Ciel thought on this for a moment, and found he couldn't really remember who. "A bird. Or perhaps a dog, I think." While this answer didn't make much real sense, at the time it seemed appropriate to say._

"_Both dogs and birds eat spiders, so they should have no reason to fear them. Your argument is silly." The spider turned again and then stopped as he faced Ciel, nestling down on his bulbous black belly. "And birds are liars all the same. I can promise you I am much more trustworthy. And I only want what's best for you."_

_Ciel shook his head. "No, you frighten me. I don't think I like talking to you at all. I think I'll leave now." And he set down the bowl on his stool and made to walk away._

"_And where shall you go?" The spider simply hopped down into the grass, and in a few scuttles was at Ciel's side. "All else out there is the forest, and surely you don't want to go in there."_

_Ciel had begun walking in no direction in particular, and when he looked up he saw that indeed there was a forest ahead of him. Dark and as expansive as anything Ciel had ever seen, it stretched on in every direction. When he turned himself about he saw that the forest surrounded the whole meadow, encircling it entirely. "And why shouldn't I? I have nothing to fear of a few trees. And certainly less there than the likes of you."_

_The spider continued to hop and scuttle along beside him, keeping pace with him with ease. "That's hardly true, child. The forest holds beasts the likes of which could fill your heart with a fear so cold you'd hardly be able to set eyes on them before they petrify you."_

_Ciel only laughed, though he felt a shiver run through him. "You seek to frighten me, spider. I know of no such beast." Despite his bold statement, his pace slowed as he neared the tree line._

"_Ah, but don't you? Do you not remember it?" The spider hopped in front of Ciel and sat itself on a rock right at the edge of the trees. "I'd have thought you couldn't forget."_

_Ciel leaned forward as he peered into the forest, squinting to try to pierce the gloom of the trees at what lie within. However, hard as he looked, all was shadow beyond the first few feet. "I remember nothing of the sort. But I do think I recall that it's spiders who are the liars."_

_The spider had no shoulders, yet the shift of his legs seem to suggest he shrugged. "Suit yourself." The spider hopped down from his rock and scuttled off into the forest without another word. Within moments it had disappeared in the underbrush, and Ciel was alone again._

_He stood there for a moment, rocking on the balls of his feet and fidgeting slightly with the bows on his dress. He knew he had no reason to believe any of the spider's words. And yet as he looked into the looming darkness of the forest he couldn't deny the warning in his heart._

_But when he looked behind him he saw nothing but the meadow, and knew that there was nothing else for him here. The forest might hold all manner of beasts and mystery, but also the excitement of new places. Yes, he decided, he really had no other choice than to go into the forest._

_So without another moment's hesitation, he took a great breath and walked over the tree line._

_Ciel had feared that once he was within the trees it would still be as shroud in darkness as it had seemed from the outside. But he was surprised to see that from within the forest it was alight from some source he couldn't see. The glow of the forest was pale and quiet, and seemed to come from the ground as much as the sky. It was muted and colorless, but cold in quality in a way that almost made it feel bluish._

_Ciel walked several feet inward and had to lift his skirts up as he walked through the thick underbrush. He felt thorns prick at his ankles and snag at his stockings, and he found at once that negotiating the forest floor at all was going to be difficult._

_He was about to give into dismay when he spied a path ahead. Ciel's face lit up, and he trampled over the last several feet of underbrush to reach it._

_The path that cut through the trees and brushes was thin and winding, curving around some trees ahead and out of sight. The path raised Ciel's spirits considerably, as not only did it provide a clearer way to walk, but should ensure that he not get lost as he wandered._

_Ciel walked along the path for a good while. Nothing outside of the ordinary presented itself to him, so it wasn't long before he was daydreaming mindlessly as he walked. The result of this, however, was that he was hardly any longer paying attention to the trees he passed or his surroundings at all. Had he been more alert, he would have noticed the strange things about the forest._

_He might have noticed how there were no sounds at all. Not from within the forest nor from without. The moment he'd entered the trees all sounds of the spring breeze had been snuffed out with the light from the sun. Even though he was in a very expansive wood where plenty of small creatures should live, he heard none of their noises. He heard no birds and no squirrels and other forest life. It was a vacuum within the trees, the only sound the growing pressure of silence on his ears._

_Had he been paying attention he might also have noticed that there was no sky above him. If he were to look up the trees would seem to grow up and up as tall as anything, their scraggly, leafless branches reaching out and clasping together to block out any view of a sky above. And even though it had been the height of the afternoon outside, within the forest night seemed to have already fallen._

_Ciel was so lost in his thoughts that when he broke through the edge of the trees it startled him completely. He stood there blinking for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the change in light._

_At first he thought he must have managed to have gotten himself lost, somehow doubling back to where he had entered the forest before. Or, perhaps he had already traversed all the way through it. But once he had the chance to look around himself fully he saw that neither of these things was the case._

_What Ciel saw now was that he had entered into a small clearing. Within the clearing it appeared to be again early afternoon, and when he looked up he could see the light from the midday sun. The clearing was round in shape, with wild grasses growing up to the edge of the trees. But what was most striking about it was the tower._

_In the center of the clearing was a stone tower that stretched far up, higher even than the trees. When Ciel took steps further in he had to crane his neck to look up to its peak._

_Ciel walked over to it cautiously, wondering if the thing was abandoned. He approached one side of it and carefully touched the crumbling stone. It was cold and hard, and small pebbles crumbled off beneath his fingertips when he ran his hand over it. Ciel pulled his hand away and turned to walk around it. It wasn't very big around, and within a very short time he was back to where he started. Much to his confusion, at no point around its circumference was there a door of any kind._

_He stepped back from the tower again, confusion drawing his brow into a frown. "Now what would be the purpose of a tower you can't enter?" Ciel wondered aloud, placing his hands on his hips in perplexity. He tilted his head back, taking a few steps back from the tower, and looked up its side. The structure was completely smooth until the very top, where he saw a small window was cut from it. "Well, surely if there is a window then it was meant for a person to be inside. So there simply must be a way in," Ciel mused to himself quietly, stroking his chin in thought. Wondering that there might perhaps be a person up there now, he cupped his hands to his mouth and called up, "Hello! Hello, is anyone up there?"_

_For a moment there was only silence. And then, much to Ciel's wonderment, it appeared that something a deep red in color was thrown from the window. Instinctively he took steps back, watching in amazement. From the top the thing unfurled, and what appeared to be an impossibly long red sheet of some sort tumbled down the side of the tower, the far end attached to something from inside the window. The thing ended but inches from the grasses at the foot of the tower._

_Cautiously Ciel approached it. Closer now he saw that it was braided. And upon even closer inspection he saw it to be… hair? Ciel recoiled from it at first, deeply disturbed. But after a moment of looking at the hair he was overcome with a kind of familiarity, and he gingerly reached out and touched it._

_It was soft and smooth beneath his fingers, shining red as rubies beneath the light of the day that had not yet begun to wane. Without really thinking about why he was doing it, Ciel took hold of it and carefully stuck a foot into the braid. With little difficulty, he began to climb up it._

_The tower was very tall, and it took a considerable about of time for him to scale it completely. Even though it ought to have taken a great amount of physical effort to pull himself up the side of the tower, when he finally reached the window at the top he wasn't the slightest bit physically taxed. With ease he pulled himself over the windowsill and into the room within._

_It wasn't a large room. It was the size of the tower's width itself. There was a bed at the far side of it, and an elegant vanity near the window. A wardrobe stood against the wall of the tower to one side, and an intricately carved wooden chest at the foot of the bed. All of the furniture was in a light colored wood with gold trimmings._

_Sitting at the vanity chair was a woman. She was dressed in a long, white dress with silken white ribbon. She wore no jewelry but a simple gold locket, and her feet were bare. But what was most striking about the woman was her hair._

_It was thick and red, and soft and flowing as the sea. And yet, Ciel was shocked to see, it was this very woman's hair that he had climbed up only moments before. The braid began loosely a ways down from her scalp, and fell back from her shoulders, into her lap, and on out the window. As Ciel stared in wonderment she took hold of it, and carefully pulled it in from outside. She coiled it into a neat pile beside her vanity, and then looked up at Ciel and smiled warmly. "Hello, my dear. I'm so pleased to have your company. Please, sit." With a delicate, slender hand she indicated the chest at the foot of the bed._

_Ciel took a moment's hesitation before sitting down on the chest. "…You have beautiful hair, miss."_

_She only smiled, running her fingers through the portion of hair that fell to her shoulders before winding into the braid. "Thank you. It is all I have left of my life before this tower, and it is very dear to me."_

_Ciel looked around the tower again, and was surprised to see that there was no other exit than the window. The were no door at the wall or the floor, and so no clear way down the tower. "What are you doing here, miss? If you don't mind me asking." Ciel tried to sound polite and not as if he were prying, though his curiosity was growing._

_The woman sighed and looked out the window, her fingers tangling in her hair. "I was put here. I was told that my family had died, and that this was the best place for me. Here I am safe from the dangers of the forest beyond." There was a sadness in her voice that made Ciel's heart ache._

_Ciel frowned at her. "I am so sorry for your loss. While it's true you must be very safe up here, don't you miss it outside?"_

_The woman sighed again, taking a brush from the vanity and running through her hair idly. "Yes, of course I do. But this is what's best." She turned to look at him and smiled again, all traces of sadness vanishing from her face. "But let's not talk about such sad things. Would you like some tea? Perhaps to play a game or read a book?"_

_Ciel smiled and sat up on the stool. "I'd love to."_

_And so it was that Ciel spent the remainder of the afternoon with the woman in the tower. They had tea and cakes and played many games of chess late into the evening. When they finished their last game Ciel was full to bursting with delicious snacks and the sun was finally setting._

"_You are much fun to play with, miss." The two of them were sitting on the bed, the flowing white canopy falling down around them._

"_And you as well, my dear," she responded, sitting up and packing away the chess board. "It's late now, so I hope you'll stay the night."_

_Ciel yawned, stretching slightly and feeling a sleepiness wash over him. "If it isn't too much trouble. I don't much like the idea of walking through the forest in the dark."_

_The woman only smiled, opening the chest and pulling a quilt from inside it. "I'd think not. It would be terribly frightening." She handed the quilt to Ciel, who promptly pulled it around himself against the slight chill of the approaching night._

_Ciel nodded. "I'm sure it would be." He laughed slightly. "Even without the 'beast' the spider spoke of. He really is a frightening character, that one. Much more worrisome than any imaginary beast he spoke of."_

_When the woman looked back at Ciel there was a shadow cast over her expression. Her voice became quiet and serious, and almost fearful. "It's not the spider you should be worrying about, my child."_

_Ciel frowned, a chill entirely unrelated to the temperature running through him. "What do you mean?"_

"_There is a beast in these woods. A fearsome one. The likes of which I daren't even say." She glanced around the tower as she said it, as if she were afraid the beast were hiding there with them in the shadows._

"_No, please do say. What is it? What dwells in the forest?" Ciel pulled the quilt more tightly around himself, his mind racing to remember what it was the spider had said about the beast._

"_They say…" She leaned forward, whispering shakily into Ciel's ear. "They say he's a wolf."_

_Ciel frowned, pulling back to look at her with doubt in his voice. "A wolf? A wolf is nothing more than a wild dog. Yes, they are dangerous, but nothing to regard as if it were some devilish specter." His fear began to fall back a little, thinking that she and the spider must only be superstitious._

_She shook her head in earnest. "No, my child, not this wolf. This wolf is large and hateful and evil. He preys upon the young and the innocent and will find you even from the darkest corners of the wood."_

_Ciel was still incredulous. "Miss, I think you are overreacting. Perhaps you have been up in this tower for too long, but wolves are nothing evil. They prey upon small animals, mostly, and aren't anything to be the stuff of nightmares."_

_The woman grabbed onto Ciel's hands, looking desperately into his eyes. "You mustn't go near it, child. You mustn't! Believe what you wish about the beast but stay clear of the house at the far side of the wood! The one with white on its roof and an apple tree in its garden, promise me!"_

_Ciel leaned slightly away from the woman as her voice became strained and desperate. He stroked her hands gently and nodded. "Of course. I promise I shan't."_

_She nodded vigorously, gripping his hands more tightly. "But if you do find yourself there you must look to the most obvious place, as it is the only way out." Her eyes pierced him with their intensity._

_Ciel pulled her hands close to his chest, looking at her with sincerity. "I promise it."_

_The woman seemed to relax slightly, and then she collapsed into his arms. "Thank you. Now we should sleep, so you have rest for your journey tomorrow."_

_Ciel nodded and lie down on the bed with her. They lay on their sides, the woman's face buried in his stomach and her arms around him, her hair curled about them like a barrier. Her presence was warm and comfortable, and he felt instantly like a child, curled in his mother's arms. After not long, they dozed off._

_It was morning when Ciel opened his eyes, the sun streaming in through the tower window. The woman was seated again at her vanity, her hair unfurled out through the window. She smiled at him as he approached. "I'm glad you slept well, my dear. But now you must go. You have a ways still to go to make it through the forest."_

_Ciel nodded, fully awake despite having only so recently awoken. He went over and kissed the woman's head, smiling to her. "Thank you for taking me in."_

_She just smiled and touched his cheek. "I'd spend a thousand more years this tower to do so." While her statement didn't make much sense, he appreciated it all the same._

_So with a last goodbye, Ciel took hold of the braid and climbed over the sill, and once again down the side of the tower. The climb didn't take too very long at all, and before long he was on the ground again, and then back in the forest. The trail continued on the opposite side of the clearing from where he'd entered, and it was along this that he walked._

_He walked and he walked for some time. By his own thoughts it was probably hours that passed by the time that he heard a sound to his right. He started, peering into the gloom for the source of the noise. He had gone so long without hearing anything but his own thoughts that the breaking of a twig had sounded as loud to him as a cannon shot._

"_Is someone there?" His voice sounded odd in the near silence. He waited a moment, and then another rustling came from the trees before the answer to his question._

"_Yes, yes. Someone's here." And then, through the trees walked a person to accompany the voice._

_He was a boy about Ciel's size and apparent age, but with hair very pale. He was wearing dark breeches and black shoes, and then a loose and dusty white shirt and green vest. He walked onto the path and put his hands to his hips, blowing a stray strand of hair from his face. "Who are you, and what are you doing here on this path? I'm looking for it first, so you can't have it. Though if you think you'll find it by following a trail, you're probably too stupid to get to it anyway." The boy's speech was harsh and piercing, but something about it was oddly comforting, even if his words were sharp._

_Ciel only frowned in confusion. "I'm Ciel. And I was only following the path to get through the forest. I don't know what it is you're talking about or what you think I'm trying to find, but I don't appreciate you calling me stupid."_

_The boy narrowed his eyes at him. "So you aren't looking for it?"_

_Ciel sighed in exasperation. "No, I'm not looking for it. Whatever it is."_

_The boy shed his antagonism in an instant, throwing an arm around Ciel's shoulders and laughing. "Well that's good, then. So you can help me find it. I'd rather have a company's to talk to anyway."_

_Ciel staggered slightly under his arm. "Well, I don't know if I should, I'm trying to find my way out…"_

"_Nonsense! There's nothing nearly so good as this anywhere else, anyway. Come on." And before Ciel could protest, he was being pulled off of the path and into the forest opposite where the boy had come from._

"_A-alright. So, um… what is it we're looking for, exactly?" Ciel stumbled to keep up with the boy, who had taken to pulling him along by his hand._

"_The house, of course! They say it's covered in spirits the like to make your head fuzzy for days to come!" He walked and hopped expertly through the underbrush, winding around trees with ease. "You'll love it Ciel, I tell you you will!"_

_While really the thought of it didn't sound particularly pleasant at all, he smiled in spite of himself, for the boy's excitement was infectious. "Oh, alright. Sounds good to me." He suddenly remembered the woman's warning, and frowned slightly. "The house doesn't have a white roof, does it? Or an apple tree in its garden?"_

_The boy only laughed. "No, silly. Houses don't have white roofs. And this one has nothing so healthy as apples near it. Are you a bit off up here?" He reached back to knock his knuckles on the top of Ciel's head._

_He shook his head, knocking away the boy's hand. "No, I'm not. And I was only asking." The boy only laughed in response, and they were quiet for a while as they walked through the forest._

_Ciel hadn't the slightest idea of where they were going, but he wasn't afraid of getting lost. The boy's hand was warm around his, and he felt perfectly safe._

_They walked for a very long time. They wound around trees and boulders and thick patches of underbrush. Ciel was about to ask the boy if he knew where they were going or how long it would take to get there when they stumbled into another clearing._

_Like that that the tower was in, it was small and surrounded by trees. But the grass here was carefully kept and manicured. And ahead of them was a small house with a tree to one side. The tree was a golden maple, its few leaves catching the light that filtered in from a sky that was visible here. The house was made of a caramel wood, but it could hardly be seen beneath what it was covered in. All stuck to the sides of the house was what appeared to be glass, broken from bottles of all different colors. And sitting on the ground all around the edges of the house were barrels and barrels of spirits._

_The boy cried out in victory, running up to the house. Ciel followed him, sighing in relief to see that the roof of the house was of the same wood as the walls._

_There were small cups and glasses hanging from the sides of the house on ribbons, and the boy took one of them, plunging it into a nearby barrel to fill it. When he pulled it up Ciel could see through the glass a bright liquid red as currents. The boy took only a sip from it before pouring the rest back into the barrel and moving onto the next. This was an amber liquid, smooth and thick. The next was clear as water. This one the boy drank a full glass of, looking very pleased, indeed._

_Ciel walked over to him, tapping him on the shoulder. "Does someone live here?"_

_The boy only shrugged, dipping his glass into a liquid the color of white grapes. "I dun know. Maybe."_

_Ciel watched as the boy sampled the different spirits, a feeling of unease growing in his stomach. If someone indeed lived here, Ciel doubted that they would appreciate how the boy drank from the barrels without so much as a second thought. He was going to suggest they leave when the front door swung open._

_Ciel started, stumbling back against the boy and making him drop his glass into a barrel of dark purplish liquid. He opened his mouth to say something, but straightened up in silence when he saw the open door. A moment later, a figure emerged from it._

_The person who stepped from behind the door was a man, dressed in black. His pants, shoes, and jacket were all the color of darkest night. He wore thin glasses far down on his nose and white gloves on his hands. His hair was also black, falling about his face loosely. Ciel had to blink a few times when he could have sworn he saw something moving beneath it._

_He glanced at Ciel only briefly before turning his attention to the boy. "Do you enjoy them?"_

_The boy only stared back at him wordlessly._

"_The drinks. Do you enjoy them?" His voice was deep and smooth and oddly familiar._

"_Y-Yeah. I do." The boy straightened up, pulling confidence from some place Ciel couldn't see. "I do indeed."_

_The man only nodded. "Well the very best of them are inside. Why don't you come in and I can show them to you?" He stepped back from the door and opened it wider, motioning inside._

_The boy perked up. "Sure, that's fine." Before Ciel could say anything, he hopped up onto the porch and walked right under the man's arm and into the house._

_Ciel stood there uncertainly for a moment, looking nervously over the man. Something about him made him uneasy. However, he didn't want to leave the boy here alone, so he walked up to the porch and into the house as well. The man glanced down at Ciel as he passed, and he nearly did a double take when he swore he saw something move under his hair again._

_Once inside, Ciel saw that there were indeed a great many more spirits there. There were a few barrels around the edges of the room, but also shelves lined with bottles of all shapes, colors, and sizes. At the very center of the room was a large barrel the size of a dining table, full of a dark liquid that was bubbling lazily._

_The boy was looking into one of the barrels around the edge of the room. Ciel walked over to him, taking his arm and speaking low to him. "Maybe we should leave."_

_The boy only shrugged him off, dipping a finger into the barrel and tasting it. "You should try this, Ciel. It's sweet. I'd bet you'd like it."_

_Ciel only shook his head, looking back over at the man as he closed the door behind him. He walked over to the large barrel at the center of the room, beckoning them over. Without a second thought, the boy approached the vat of cooking liquid, and Ciel quickly followed him._

"_I cook the liquors myself, you see. This one is very hot. Hot enough to cook just about anything fully through." The man came up behind them, taking a metal ladle that was hooked on the side of the container to stir the liquid._

_The boy leaned in to look more closely at the liquid, and the way the man watched him do so sent chills down Ciel's spine. He was going to pull the boy back from the edge of the vat when his eyes caught movement above him and he looked up._

_The man was leaning over them, and as Ciel looked he saw something move beneath his dark hair. And then, to Ciel's horror, he watched a giant spider crawl out from under his locks, scuttling on to the back of his neck._

_Ciel stumbled back from him, staring in shock and horror. The man straightened up, tilting his head to the side. When he spoke, the voice echoed with the voice of the spider. "I told you you have nothing to fear of me, child." He watched as he plucked a pale hair from the boy's head and dropped it into the vat of boiling liquid, his hand then moving to his shoulder before slowly trailing down his back. He expected the boy to jump back at his touch, but he only smiled, leaning back against his hand. The spider crawled from his shoulder down his arm and onto his wrist. Then, the man hooked his fingers into the back of the boy's breeches and pulled them back a few inches from his tail bone. And then, the spider crawled across his hand and down the back of the boy's pants._

_Ciel stumbled back towards the door. He nearly lost his footing, but regained his balance and ran._

_As he wrenched open the door and ran from the house, he heard only the boy's giggle and the man's amused hum._

_Ciel took off across the clearing and back into the trees. He ran as fast as the forest would allow him. He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was that he needed to put as much distance as he could between himself and the house and the spider._

_After a while his legs began to ache more than he could bear, and he was forced to slow. He stopped, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. To his great relief he saw the path from earlier ahead of him, and he quickly regained it._

_He hadn't wanted to leave the boy behind with the spider. He was afraid, even now, that he may hurt him, and this thought upset him greatly. But the boy hadn't seemed to sense the danger of the spider. In the end, Ciel had fled in fear and selfishness, a thing that he was kicking himself for now._

_Ciel was considering turning around and heading back to the house to look for the boy, when something caught his attention. In the corner of his eye he had seen… a light! He turned towards where it had been, expecting it to have vanished either back into his imagination or into the trees. But when he looked there it was._

_Floating half a foot from the forest floor was a glowing blue light, pulsating in the gloom. The light was ever in motion, the curls of blue flame swelling and then collapsing in on themselves, yet never vanishing entirely._

_Ciel stared at if transfixed for a moment. He had never seen a thing so beautiful in a place so glum._

_After watching it for another moment, he approached it slowly. At first it seemed not to move at all. His confidence that the thing wouldn't disappear growing, he approached it more quickly. However, the closer he got to it the further away it seemed. Fearing it would float off altogether, he stopped abruptly. The light stopped as well._

_He watched it for a moment before speaking to it. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know." There was silence. "I just want to know what you are."_

_Ciel was beginning to feel a bit silly talking to a light in the forest. If the boy had thought him mad before he certainly would now if he saw him. "I'm going to come over to you now. So just stay still a moment." And so Ciel took several quick steps to the light, hoping to overtake it with his speed._

_But the light moved away just as quickly._

_Ciel huffed, crossing his arms at the light. "Now, really. You're being very rude. But you know, you are only a light and I am a boy. I'm quite certain that if I run my fastest I could catch you." Ciel waited for a response but got none._

_And so his chase began._

_He chased the light through the forest for quite a while. Jumping over fallen logs and ducking under tree branches, occasionally calling out to it in the like of "hold on!" and "slow down, you!" and "I've nearly got you now!" though in truth he was never at any point any closer to it than at any other._

_He chased the light for so long that he lost all track of time, direction, and purpose. So when suddenly the light disappeared he was so disoriented he nearly lost his balance._

_Ciel turned around in a circle, thinking he simply must have lost sight of it for a moment. But it was nowhere to be found. Without its faint blue glow Ciel was suddenly aware of just how __dark__ the forest was. He realized night must have fallen at some point._

_He was also becoming aware of just how cold it was. A slight breeze flew through the forest, and the bare branches of the trees clawed scraped against each other in an eerie harmony. Ciel hugged himself tightly, shivering. Suddenly he wanted very badly for his home and his bed, and for someplace warm and friendly. But to his utter dismay he found that he was entirely lost._

_He started forward again (though he wasn't sure that it was forward. He had no sense of direction anymore.), hoping he might stumble upon the path from earlier. He was just starting to despair in how hopelessly lost he was when he was startled to see the boy stumble out form the trees in front of him._

_Ciel practically jumped in delighted excitement to see him. He immediately ran over to him, but stopped a few feet short. He could tell instantly that something was very wrong._

_The boy straightened up, and Ciel could see that his clothes were ripped and torn in places. His skin was very very pale. But what was most startling was that he absolutely soaking wet, dripping constantly onto the forest floor. And his eyes were wide with fear._

_Ciel took him by his shoulders, looking him over with concern. "Are you alright? What happened?"_

_The boy only stared at him, shaking his head fervently._

"_Come on, say something! I need to know you're alright!" The boy was cold under his hands. Or perhaps the water was cold. He was so wet it was hard to tell._

_The boy mouthed words as if saying them, but no sound came out. Whatever he was trying to say seemed very frightened and urgent for the look on his face and the way his body trembled._

_Ciel shook his head in distress. "I can't hear you. You aren't saying anything." He leaned forward, straining to hear so much as a whisper, but there was nothing._

_The boy started mouthing words at him even more frantically, his eyes widening with every moment. The boy's panic was spreading to Ciel. He sensed the absolute importance of what he was trying to say, and he felt a helplessness at not being able to decipher it._

_Ciel put a hand to the boy's cheek to calm him. "I need you to slow down so I can try to understand you."_

_The boy nodded a little. He breathed for a moment, then mouthed what appeared to be two words. And even though they were slower, they still weren't concise enough for Ciel to understand._

_He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know what you're saying."_

_The boy stopped for another moment, then mouthed at him very carefully:_

_ g_

"_It's… coming. It's coming! Okay! What's coming?" Ciel felt a chill run down his spine once he grasped the boy's words, but he tried to stay outwardly calm so as not to panic the boy again._

_This time the boy mouthed only a single word. At first Ciel only shook his head, unable to read his lips well enough to grasp it. But after a couple more times, he understood._

_w o l f_

_Ciel stared for a moment. When he said it back to the boy, it was barely a whisper. "Wolf?"_

_The boy nodded. But when he opened his mouth to try to say something else, he became transfixed on something over Ciel's shoulder. His eyes widened and he began to shake horribly. When Ciel made to turn to see what he was looking at, the boy grabbed Ciel by his face to hold it from turning, shaking his head violently. All he mouthed was a single word, and Ciel understood it instantly._

_r u n_

_Perhaps it was the urgency in the boy's face; the sheer utter panic and terror. Or maybe it was the sense of sudden cold that washed over Ciel's entire body. But whatever the reason, Ciel didn't wait for anything further. Without hesitation, Ciel ran. He ran as fast as he could without daring to look back._

_It didn't take long for what had before seemed like unjustified fear to make itself realized. As soon as he'd taken off, he had heard it. The sound of something chasing him. Something large and something fast. Something that could navigate the forest much more easily than Ciel. He heard its thundering steps as they beat into the ground, pounding like the thumps of a heart beating too fast and heavy for the life it sustained. Occasionally there were other sounds, too. A growl or a breath, throaty and wet. The gnash of teeth or the scrape of claws on dead wood. Ciel didn't know how much of it was real and how much imagined, but as he ran pell mell through the forest it hardly mattered._

_After a while, the sounds of his pursuer quieted, then vanished altogether. However, Ciel had no feeling that the danger had passed. But when he saw something in the forest ahead of him, he felt secure enough to slow before approaching it._

_What he came upon then was a small structure all made of straw. The golden color of the straw stood out from the darker hues of the forest, and it made Ciel feel comfortable. When he walked up to it, he was surprised when a person emerged from inside it._

_She was a girl about Ciel's size with curly golden locks that matched the color of her straw house. When he approached she smiled at Ciel, walking over to him with her curls all abouncing._

"_Hello there, Ciel! How are you today?" Ciel wasn't sure how the girl knew his name, but it didn't bother him much that she did._

"_I'm fine but I'm running from something frightful. You should leave here as well, for it's not safe." He went up to her and gently took her hand, meaning to pull her on with him. Even though he didn't know the girl, he instantly felt a strong, almost overpowering affection, and the need to protect her and keep her safe was as strong in him as anything._

_But she only shook her head, still smiling. "No, silly. I'll be perfectly safe here. You see? I've built this house out of straw to protect me from the beast."_

_Ciel looked doubtfully at the straw structure. While it was true that was very carefully built, he doubted that it would hold up to a strong breeze, let alone an attack from the wolf. "I don't think that it will be good enough protection, miss. You really ought to come with me. We'll find a safer place together." He made his voice careful and gentle, while still trying to get across the utter urgency of the situation._

_She only shook her head again. "No thank you, Ciel. I think I'll stay. You are welcome to stay with me as well if you'd like. But if not you had best get going. I fear he'll be upon us soon." Even as she spoke such ominous words her smile never faltered._

_Ciel didn't want to leave her here with so little protection as a house of straw, but he hadn't the time to argue the point. He only kissed the girl on the cheek and squeezed her hand. "I can only beg you to please run if he nears."_

_She just smiled in return and Ciel knew that any attempts at persuading her to leave would be unsuccessful. He knew then that no matter what he said she would not be able to understand the truth of the situation. A small part of him knew that he could save her if only he could convey the message in the right way. But he knew it was useless. The realization made his heart ache and his stomach turn, but he knew that he had done all he could do. The rest was up to her, and as much as he knew it was true, it frightened him to death._

_So with a last wish of good luck he continued on._

_He hadn't walked for too terribly long when he came upon another structure, this time made of sticks. The house was very aptly made, and slightly sturdier than the previous. And then, much to Ciel's delight, the woman with the red hair emerged. She was wearing a long and lovely dress in deepest red now, and it suited her perfectly. Her hair was not nearly so long now, falling not even so far as her shoulders. Yet it did nothing to diminish her beauty._

"_My child!" She cried, running over to embrace him. Ciel was very happy to see her, and yet instantly concerned._

"_Miss we must leave this place. The beast is on my tail. We must run!" Ciel held tightly onto her hands, pulling her in the direction he had been walking._

_But she only shook her head, squeezing his hands in return. "I cannot, my child. I must stay. But you mustn't worry. I have this house here in which to hide. It will protect me from the beast." Yet even as she said it he saw in her eyes that she did not believe it._

_Ciel shook his head, panic filling his chest again. While the house looked sturdier than the last, it was still only made of sticks, loosely tied together with string. It would do her no good in the event of an attack from any kind of beast at all. "You have to trust me, miss. This house will not protect you!"_

_She just sighed and kissed the top of his head. "I know that you want to help me, my child. But there is nothing you can do. If it is true that this house will not be able to protect me, than I can only hope that you don't let guilt take you for it."_

_Ciel shook his head again. "I can't just leave you here! I won't!" Tears had sprung up in the corners of his eyes and he quickly swept them away, the feeling of pain already swelling in his chest._

_She gently put a hand to his lips. "But you must. It was never your place to protect me, my child. But it is mine to protect you. So you must go now."_

_And even though it seemed the woman was aware that her stick structure would not protect her, she would not leave with him. Ciel thought he heard the pounding of animal feet in the distance, and he knew he had to run._

"…_You are a wonderful woman, miss. You took care of me and kept me safe and I only wish I could do the same for you." He felt the sting of tears in his eyes again and he didn't bother to brush them away this time._

_The woman only smiled and kissed the top of his head. "I know, my child. But you must be strong." She bent and kissed a tear from his cheek. "And now you must go. For all I have done will have been for naught of the beast gets to you."_

_Ciel only nodded, knowing the truth of her words. With reluctance he pulled himself away from her. And then, before he could stop himself, he ran, not looking back at the woman in red.  
_

_Ciel ran with tears in his eyes for quite a while before he was stopped again. Now what he came upon was a larger house, made of sturdy brick. Finally, it seemed, he had come upon a structure that might serve as protection against the beast._

_He went up to the house and knocked upon the front door. Within moments it was opened by the most beautiful woman Ciel had ever seen._

_The woman's hair was long and the color of honey, with ribbons tied into it. Her face was kind and gentle, with a smile that brought light to Ciel's heart. When she answered the door she turned her smile on Ciel and it was as if the sun were shining on him. "We've been waiting for you, Ciel."_

_Ciel could only nod, his heart so overwhelmed with warmth and joy. The woman stepped back and let Ciel into the house. The door opened into a sitting room the size of the structure itself, that had a fire burning at the far side. At one of the ornate chairs that was in front of it sat a man. Upon Ciel's entry he stood and walked over to them._

_He was tall, with hair long and dark as it fell around his face. His clothes were elegant and in dark colors, all except for the shining sapphire ring he wore on one hand. His face was kind and full of good humor, with laughter and good heartedness resting in the corners of his eyes. When he spoke his voice was deep and reassuring, and Ciel felt instantly safe and comforted. "We've missed you, Ciel."_

_And as the woman took him into her arms, Ciel knew she was his mother. He had no memory of her or the man, and yet he knew they were his parents. And that he was home._

"_Would you like some tea, Ciel? Perhaps a dessert?" His mother asked him, her face glowing with kindness and motherhood._

_Ciel only nodded, still too happy for words._

_And so his mother served him tea and cake, and his father sat with him at the table. He took out a chess board and the two of them played, his mother watching from beside Ciel, always playing with his hair or fixing the cuff of his shirt. For he was no longer wearing the dress from before, but shorts, socks, and a shirt, all white black and blue._

_After their game they sat around the fire. His father smoked a pipe and his mother embroidered on a cloth, saying she was making something special for Ciel, but that he wouldn't know its beauty until it was finished, so he wasn't allowed to look. Sometimes they joked and told stories, and other times they said nothing at all. It didn't matter much to Ciel what they were doing. Simply being in their presence made him happier than any other thing in the world could._

_But then, because there was a part of Ciel's heart that knew this happiness could not last, they heard a knock on the door._

_It seemed just an ordinary knock, and yet as soon as it sounded the room grew quiet. The knock came again, and Ciel felt a coldness and a darkness settle over his heart. His father rose and walked slowly to the door. As he did so, Ciel's mother took him in her arms and whispered to him, "you must hide."_

_Moving very quietly so as to stay silent she lifted him and carried him to the corner of the room. There she lifted the floorboard by a ring, exposing a small room beneath the trapdoor._

_She carefully lowered him into it and onto the rungs of a ladder, but did not follow herself. "You must stay completely silent, Ciel."_

_Ciel's eyes widened, panic flooding his chest. "You must hide, too!"_

_But she only shook her head. "No, my dear, sweet boy, I cannot. You must be the one kept safe."_

_Ciel began to cry fresh tears, trying his hardest to do so silently. Panic was bubbling up in his chest and it threatened to suffocate him. "No! You must hide! You can't stay here!"_

_She only leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I must, Ciel. It has already been written."_

_Ciel could not contain his tears. His whole body shook with them, like a child given to the utter terror of a nightmare._

"_I love you, Ciel. With all of my heart. And so does your father. And we'll be with you always." And then, before Ciel could stop her, she lowered the trapdoor over his head, leaving Ciel to reach for someone who was no longer there, whispering frantic "I love you!"s to the dark._

_It was not long after the door was closed that Ciel heard the beast enter the house. He curled down into a ball in the corner, his hands over his ears and his eyes closed shut as tightly as he could, but he couldn't block out every sound of his parents' panic and struggle and screams. When the house finally became silent and he knew the beast was gone, Ciel's muscles were tired and aching from the strain of trying to block out all sounds and sights of a world that terrified him._

_He stayed there, curled up and shaking on the floor of the secret room for an immeasurable amount of time before he had the strength to stand. Every fiber in his body urged him to stay there, huddled in the corner of the room. His fear and his pain and every other childlike feeling wanted nothing more to curl up into a ball smaller and smaller until he vanished into nothing and would have to feel no more. But he knew he could not stay. So when he finally did stand and climb the ladder on shaking knees, he hesitated with his hands on the trapdoor for another moment._

_He couldn't do it. He couldn't see it. He just… couldn't._

_So when he finally did push open the hatch he shut his eyes tightly. With some effort he managed to pull himself up and onto the floor. Trying to picture the room in his head, he began to blindly navigate his way to the front door._

_Even with his eyes tight shut, he didn't have to see it to know what was there. The images were already in his mind's eye as if painted there in a dream. His father, staring vacantly with nothing but a gaping, bloody hole where one of his eyes should be. His mother holding the wound on her belly, the blood a vibrant scarlet against her pale, delicate hands._

_Ciel had become so lost in the image that he forgot himself for a moment, stumbling over his own feet and sending himself sprawling to the floor. In reflex he threw his arms out to catch himself, his eyes flying open. In that horrible moment he expected to see it all again. He expected to find his parents' mangled bodies, only cold, empty shells of the people who loved him most in the world, their arms bent and broken to never hold him again. He expected to to see them there, spread out before him, lost and lifeless. Again._

_But there was nothing._

_He scrambled to sit up, looking all around him. But the room was empty. There was no one. No blood and no signs of a struggle. Ciel stood and carefully walked around the room, looking into corners and under chairs, hoping he would find them and praying that he wouldn't._

_But there was no one._

_But as he walked past the table something caught his eye. The sun had risen at some point while he hid underground, and now sunlight was streaming in through a window at the front of the house. The light was glinting off of something blue resting atop the table. Ciel went over and found that it was the very ring his father had worn, the sapphire stone casting quiet lights onto the wooden taletop. With hesitation he lifted it from the table and placed it on his smallest finger. It was the only one it fit on._

_Ciel stared at the ring and as he did so he felt a change come over him._

_From the moment his mother had closed the trapdoor over him he had been consumed by a grief and a sadness that threatened to engulf him. Every moment it was suffocating him, yet he was made to keep on breathing. And yet, now, as he looked at the ring, it changed. Suddenly, there was anger._

_It began as a small spark in his stomach. But as the fumes of indignation of injustice filled his lungs they caught rapidly to the flame of his ever growing rage. Suddenly the heat of hatred had smothered out the cold of the paralyzing grief. And unlike grief, which was an unending storm that would wage on forever within him without relief, his anger had an end game._

_The path to which, he knew instantly, was revenge._

_He would no longer hide from the beast that had taken so much from him. He would take it for himself. He would no longer be the hunted._

_No. It was he would now hunt the beast._

_He hardly glanced back at the house he knew was his home before he left and reentered the forest. He did not run. But he walked. He walked a strong pace, his head held up in front of him with a confidence he wasn't sure he felt._

_It surprised him to see that his clothing had changed again. Now he wore another dress, but this one simple and white. And over it a red hooded cloak. On his feet were black riding boots. He pulled the cloak more tightly around him as a cold breeze went through the forest._

_Even though it had been day when he left the brick house night had already fallen. And as he walked the night grew alive with night sounds; the scratching of tree branches, the whisper of the wind, the crunch of cold ground beneath his feet. He followed no path, and yet there was not a question in his mind where he went._

_And so it was that it didn't surprise him when he came across the house with the white roof and the apple tree in the garden._

_It was a cozy sized cottage. The small porch was lit by the light of a lantern, which illuminated the apple tree. The tree was the only plant life Ciel had seen full with leaves and fruit. The apples that hung from it glowed a dark red in the light from the porch lamp. They were large and round and looked delicious, but he daren't eat one, despite the grumble in his stomach._

_Ciel looked down at the ring on his hand, hoping it would give him a strength he knew he didn't have. But his knees shook and his heart pounded in his chest, and he didn't know if he could do it._

_But then he saw them all in his head. The woman in red. The boy. The blonde girl with the curls. His parents. And he knew he didn't have a choice. He never did. And so, without another moment's hesitation, he climbed onto the porch and pushed open the door._

_It opened into a hallway that was impossibly long for the size that the house appeared on the outside. He walked cautiously down it, holding his ring hand out in front of him like a shield or a light. The long hallway was lined with doors on either side. And all was quiet._

_But then Ciel was stopped dead in his tracks when a voice came from behind one of the doors to his right._

"_Ciel?"_

_The voice was low and gentle, and something about it made him feel instantly comfortable. It was familiar and right and brought dozens of wonderful feelings to him. Without even a moment's hesitation he opened the door and stepped through._

_But there was no one behind it. The door led simply to another hall identical to the last. Ciel turned and looked again through that which he had come by to be certain he had not been turned around but he hadn't. So he cautiously continued down this new hall._

_It wasn't long before the voice came again from another door._

"_Ciel? Ciel, where are you?"_

_It was more urgent now, and Ciel found himself more urgent as well as he sought to find the source._

"_Sebastian? Sebastian, I'm here!"_

_He wasn't sure how he knew the name that belonged to the voice, but he did. He quickly went through the door behind which the voice seemed to come. But again, he met only another hallway._

_And so began his chase through the labyrinth as he followed the voice. He could have gone through a dozen, a hundred doors but he'd lost count. Until, to his surprise, he opened one that did not again open into a hallway. But instead into a comfortable sitting room._

_Ciel took a moment to stare at the walls. For on them hung a number of large framed oil paintings. There was one with the woman in red, standing tall and proud in a most beautiful red coat. There was one of the blonde girl in a frilly pink and white dress with matching ribbons in her hair. She held a wooden arc in her hands, and she was smiling. And then there was one of the boy from earlier, and standing with him, the human version of the spider. Though he looked much less menacing in the painting than in real life. And then there was one of his parents. His mother, sitting and looking as stunning beautiful as always, his father standing beside her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. They looked happy._

_Ciel became so entranced that for a moment he forgot where he was and why he was there. He just stood there, staring up at his parents' painting and for a moment he swore he were really staring at them. That they were alive and well and really smiling at him. Ciel was about ready to completely submit to this belief when the ring on his hand became heavy and he snapped out of his reverie._

_His focus returned to him, he looked to the only door ahead of him that remained. Up until now he had been carelessly throwing open doors and walking between hallways, but he approached this one carefully. And once he stood before it he raised his hand and knocked._

_At first there was silence. And then there was a voice._

"_Come in, Ciel."_

_And so he did._

_The room he walked into now was a bedroom. It was large and circular in shape. There was a large canopied bed in the center of the room, whose canopy and fixings were all in white. In fact, everything in the room was white. The walls, the carpet, the curtains, even the wood of the furniture was light as cream. There was a chest at the foot of the bed in the same pale wood, though on it was the only thing that was not white. There, on the front of it, was painted a round purple eye._

_The canopy was drawn completely around the bed, blocking it from view. Silhouetted against it Ciel could see the figure of a man sitting stalk still in the center of the bed. It was from here that the voice came._

"_Ciel. You've made it. I'm so happy you could find me."_

_Ciel slowly walked into the room. While the voice had been so safe and comforting before, he sensed a warning spark run up his spine and he guarded himself. "Yes. The house is very big."_

"_Oh yes. The better to hide in, my sweet. Why don't you come over onto the bed with me?" The voice was calm and very carefully controlled._

"_Your bed is very white, you know. Everything is very white." Ciel began circling the room slowly, taking in his surroundings carefully._

"_The better not to distract me, Ciel. Colors draw the eye's attention, you know. They can be distracting." He could see the figure's head turn to watch him as he walked around the room._

"_I believe you there," Ciel replied, glancing again at the eye of the chest. "It was easy to find your house, you know. Yours is the only fruit tree in the entire forest. I wonder at how it is you can get it to grow here. Are you fond of apples?" Ciel wanted to keep the conversation going as long as he could until he could be certain of what he already knew in his heart._

"_The better to satisfy my sweet tooth, of course. There's nothing quite like sinking one's teeth into the ripe, juicy flesh of an apple. Wouldn't you agree?" Even though he couldn't see the figure he sensed it licking its lips._

"_I've never been much one for apples. They're too much of a problem to slice and biting into them hurts my teeth too much." Ciel had walked as far as he could around the room without getting any closer to the figure or to the bed, and so he doubled back and began to walk the other way._

"_I hardly have that problem." And Ciel sensed him grinning, which sent chills down his spine. "I have very strong teeth, you see."_

"_Oh? Do you? I imagine that comes in quite handy." Ciel could feel his pulse increase with every passing moment._

"_The better to bite things with, my dear."_

_The more Ciel talked to the figure the less and less he sounded like the familiar voice he knew. By now he wondered how he had ever thought it sounded like that he knew at all. Every bone in his body was telling him to turn tail and run, as fast as he could, out of that house. But he was there with a purpose and he would not leave until he'd accomplished it._

_Ciel opted that it was in his best interest to play dumb to the menacing undertones of the figure's every word. "You know they say eating plenty of apples will keep you out from under the doctor's eye. You must be in very good health."_

_There was a smile in his voice that made Ciel sick to his stomach. "Oh, I don't know about that. Besides the apples my diet is rather unbalanced."_

"_Oh? And what do you mean by that?" Ciel's eyes had begun to dart around the room in search for anything he could use as a weapon, as he felt the string of their conversation growing thin._

"_I have rather a taste for meat." And as he said it the figure shifted, and Ciel sensed its whole body was turned toward Ciel, watching his every move very carefully._

_And as he said this, it was not only his own voice that he said it with. Within the figure's voice Ciel heard many others. He heard the woman in red's voice and the blonde girl's voice and the spider's voice and the boy's voice and his parents' voices. He heard them all at once with the figure's own voice and they were screaming. Yes, Ciel heard the screams of all the people he knew he cared about and even those he didn't in that voice and he knew in some place in his heart that his voice was going to join theirs as well._

_And it was then that Ciel realized that he had been wrong in coming here. Finished with his survey of the room he had realized just how at a disadvantage he was. And not only that, but the figure behind the veil seemed to know just what perfect control he was in. He had the screams of Ciel's loved ones in his throat and their blood in his belly and he thirsted for Ciel's all the more._

_The woman in red had known her fate as she stood beside her stick house, waiting for the beast's arrival. Had she known before then, even, what was to come to pass? Had she known even as they had shared tea and cakes in her tower? Was it as his mother has said? Was it already written? If it was, then she must have known Ciel would come here for revenge. And yet she had still warned him away. She had known._

_And Ciel realized that vengeance for his parents would mean nothing if he was dead. It would not really be for them but for himself. For if he wanted what was truly for his parents he would keep himself safe. As his mother had wanted him safe when she hid him beneath the floorboards._

_Yes. Yes, he was not supposed to be here. He needed a way out. _

_A way out! The woman had spoken of a way out! She had called it an obvious place. A door would be the most obvious exit, wouldn't it? But that wasn't what she meant. Not obvious. No, not obvious…_

"_So, Ciel. Have you stalled long enough? Why don't you come closer for what you came here for?" The figure's shape and size were becoming distorted, and the silhouette no longer resembled anything like a man whatsoever._

_Distracting. Not obvious. Distracting. Something to pull your eye._

_The chest._

_The creature behind the veil sensed Ciel's movement as quick as he made it. For even as Ciel lunged for the chest the other had thrown open the canopy behind it. And just as Ciel reached it, he found himself face to face with the beast._

_For a moment Ciel froze with fear. For what everyone before him had said was true. The moment his eyes had laid to rest on the thing the paralysis took over. His blood ran cold and it could have frozen in his veins. But the warmth of the ring on his hand melted it all away, and he realized something._

_The beast had removed every trace of his parents from the house after taking them. And yet this one ring had been left. Which could only mean that the beast had deliberately left the ring for Ciel to find. He had probably meant it as a means of taunting him. Of making him sad or fearful. But it hadn't gone as he had planned at all. For now, in the pivotal moment when they were close enough that Ciel could feel its warm, putrid breath on his face, it was the ring that gave Ciel the strength to move again._

_And so it was that with his ring hand that he took the wolf by its muzzle and twisted it sharply away from him, clearing the space above the chest enough to throw it open. The beast whimpered and snarled beneath his hand, but Ciel found that somehow he had the strength to hold the snout closed._

_The trunk opened into a dark and empty nothingness, larger than anything that should exist inside a chest. No sound or smell or temperature of any kind came from inside it. Only nothingness. But Ciel didn't take the time to question it. It was someone he trusted that lead him here, and that was enough for him._

_So with that he wrenched back on the wolf's snout once again before throwing himself headfirst into the trunk. He heard the beast's howl of anger behind him before the trunk slammed shut, and then he heard nothing at all._

Ciel sat up in bed in a cold sweat, his heart thumping hard and loud enough in his chest that he believed it would punch right out of it. For a good several seconds he thought he was still in the empty abyss of the inside of the trunk, but then the world bled through around him and he knew he was awake.

He looked around and saw that he was in his bed. In his room. In his house. Still disoriented and not entirely convinced of the reality of the waking world, he quietly got out of bed and walked down the hall to his aunt's bedroom.

Once he'd opened the door he knew instantly she was there asleep in bed. He could see the lump of her outline in the semi-darkness, rising and falling with each breath, and he could hear the soft sounds of her sleeping and the occasional mumble. Instantly Ciel relaxed and the world felt right around him.

He went back into his room and picked up his phone to see that Alois had texted him in the night. It was something about how he had dreamt that all of their teachers had turnips for heads, so he took it as a sign he ought not to go to school, so Ciel should probably skip with him and watch movies all day instead. Ciel couldn't contain the smile on his face as he texted back for Alois to go back to sleep.

He saw he also had a message from Sebastian_. "I'm calling in for a sub tomorrow so you should probably skip class. Nothing's the matter, so you don't have to worry. I would like to see you, though. Love you, and I hope you're sleeping well."_

Again, Ciel could only smile. So he texted Sebastian back that he'd call him once he was awake.

Ciel just sat there in contentment for a moment, the feeling of euphoria a result of the relief after his nightmare. After another moment he picked up his pillow and carried it into his aunt's bedroom.

He quietly walked over and got into bed next to her, tucking himself quietly under the covers. His aunt stirred and hugged him, opening one eye and looking down at him in concern. "Is everything alright, Ciel?"

Ciel only nodded, cuddling up to her as he had done as a child. "I just had a nightmare."

Angelina smiled and sleepily kissed the top of his head. "Alright. Goodnight, Ciel. I love you."

Ciel only smiled, drifting back off to sleep almost instantly. "I love you, too. And I'm sorry I went into the house."

Angelina frowned down at him, about to ask him what he meant but he was already asleep.

For the rest of the night Ciel dreamt of playing in a meadow with a small yellow cat and a ladybug. They had a very good time eating cottage cheese and drinking wine, and none of them saw any spiders or any wolves.

And not a single one of them ate from the apple tree at the edge of the woods.

* * *

I found that whenever I read through it in editing I actually read it aloud, which isn't something I normally do. And almost instantly I took on the voice of the man who reads my Alice in Wonderland audiobooks, which pleased me greatly. Also, I don't know about you guys, but after reading such an impossibly long italicized text once I got to the normally formatted bit it seemed the whole thing slanted back to the left! Hahaha oh dear I should rest. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and that I managed to raise ever more questions and curiosity c:


	17. Victimized

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. Ahem. Sorry that was just my inner high schooler getting excited about a fist fight between two grown men. ALSO. This is important. This is a warning that there is talk of implied sexual abuse in this chapter. Just as a heads up.

* * *

Claude opened his mouth to speak, but before one word had escaped his lips Sebastian had cocked back his fist and punched him full on in the face with all of his strength.

Claude staggered back, as much in surprise as in reaction to the force of the blow. He blinked at Sebastian a few times before taking off his glasses and narrowing his eyes at him. "And what in the hell was that for?"

Sebastian didn't bother with an answer. He took a step further into the house, brought back his fist, and let fly another swing.

This time Claude was ready for it, so he ducked away just in time, the blow flying past his head and barely missing him. He was beginning to look flustered, his face already swelling from the first punch. "Really, Sebastian, I-_agh!" _But he was cut off by the abrupt blow to his gut that nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Sebastian advanced on him as he stumbled back again, pulling back a fist for another hit.

But Claude had regained his balance too quickly, and in the time it took Sebastian to reload Claude had grabbed his shoulder and driven his knee harshly up into Sebastian's stomach. He coughed and gasped in surprise, and was caught off guard by a single punch of Claude's that connected squarely with his jaw.

Barely slowed by the blow that was already making his teeth ache, Sebastian started again with a punch that didn't make it to Claude's face before the other man's fist again made contact, this time with Sebastian's brow and cheekbone.

The blow sent Sebastian reeling, pinpricks of light going off behind his closed lid. And before he could come back again, Claude had him knocked onto his back on the floor and pinned there.

Sebastian just growled up at him, struggling. "Get off of me, you son of a bitch."

"Gladly. You really aren't my type at all. Much too old. But not until you tell me why in the hell you thought you'd wage war against my face in the middle of the eveing." Claude's smooth drawl did nothing but stir the rage bubbling up in Sebastian over Ciel, and he resisted the urge to bash his head against the other man's.

Sebastian grit his teeth, snarling through them back at him. "Ciel. You lied to Ciel."

Claude's look of impatience changed to that of amusement and he grinned. "Oh that. I take it he wasn't pleased with the idea that he was sleeping with a man who had such… extensive and exotic sexual taste? Alois wasn't, either. But he wasn't too much of a loss. There's sweeter out there that I have my eye on besides."

Sebastian jerked his shoulders violently to knock Claude back, sitting up and wiping blood from his split lip. "You keep running your mouth Claude and I swear I'll make it certain you don't touch anyone the way you like to ever again."

Claude only laughed, getting off of him and standing. "Right. Can I get you something to drink?" And he just casually walked into the kitchen, gingerly touching his face where Sebastian hit him.

Too angry to respond, Sebastian only stood and followed him, his lip and cheekbone throbbing. "If you think you can just walk away from me, Claude-"

"Oh no, Sebastian, I'm just walking _into_ the kitchen. And see, you followed, so really I haven't walked away at all." The grin on his face as he poured each of them a glass of wine was absolutely infuriating, and Sebastian already regretted not getting more hits in when he had the chance. Claude looked back up at Sebastian as he walked in, cringing at him slightly. "Oh dear, your face looks awful. Ice, maybe?"

Sebastian only glared at him. "If you make any advances on Ciel I'll kill you myself."

Claude only laughed, pushing a glass of wine across the kitchen island to him. "I doubt that. And this should take the edge off. And don't worry, it's good wine. I know you have expensive tastes."

Sebastian didn't pick up the glass. "What made you think it would actually work? Hm? Did you honestly believe that he'd believe your word over mine?"

Claude only glanced at him, turning to put the wine bottle back on the rack. "My understanding was that he _did_ take my word over yours. If he hadn't you wouldn't be so angry. So what changed his mind, hm? Was it Alois? I figured the slut was still mad at me. He's probably told Ciel all sorts of stories." And he grinned back at him. "Some of which are probably true."

Sebastian made a face. "You're a disgusting excuse for a human being."

Claude only shrugged, sipping idly from his wine glass and watching him over his glasses. "Perhaps. Or maybe I just like pissing you off, Sebastian. On occasion it's worth the punch to the face."

As Sebastian watched him, he wasn't sure how much of what Alois told him was true and how much wasn't. He could picture the man as being capable of all sorts of disgusting things. But then again, he could also imagine him taking pleasure in his just _believing _that he was. But before he let himself give Claude too much of the benefit of the doubt, he remembered that he'd tried to ruin his relationship with Ciel and that just pissed him off again.

"Why did you do it?" He tried to keep his voice as level as he could despite his anger.

Claude raised an eyebrow at him, leaning back against the counter and looking at him over his wine glass. "The same reason you're so obsessed with him too, I'd imagine. He's positively _delectable_."

Before he could stop himself Sebastian grabbed the wine glass in front of him by its stem and hurled it across the room at the wall just feet from Claude's head. The man didn't flinch. He only looked on it him through narrowed eyes.

"You stay the hell away from him, Claude. If you lay so much as a hand on him-"

"You'll what?" He drawled, straightning up and picking up the foot of the broken glass, turning it between his fingers before tossing it into the trash bin. "Threaten me some more? Really, Sebastian. Your capacity for violence hardly reaches as far as your right hook. And you wouldn't dream of turning me over to the school because you'd end up in the very same boat. So really, what do you have to threaten me with?"

Sebastian only glared back at him, chest heaving. But he knew he was right. He didn't have anything but empty threats and anger. "…He hates you as much as I do, Claude. You wouldn't stand a chance."

Claude swirled what was left of his wine around in his glass before draining it, his eyes shining. "We'll see."

Sebastian was about to say something more when to his surprise, a child walked into the kitchen.

The boy was small, with messy hair like cherry wood. He held a blanket close to his chest, staring up at Sebastian wide-eyed. His voice was quiet and gentle. "Did you break something, mister?"

Sebastian only stared at the child before looking back at Claude. Claude sighed, going over and putting a hand on the boy's head. The child instantly clung to Claude's leg, still staring up at Sebastian in wonder and possibly fear. Claude leaned out of the kitchen, calling down the hall.

"Hannah? Hannah, come here."

And in a moment a pretty woman dressed in white appeared in the entryway to the kitchen. The boy instantly ran to her, and she picked him up, resting him on one hip. "What is it, Claude? Oh my goodness, your face!" She instantly touched the bruise forming on Claude's face, a look of concern clouding her soft features.

"It's nothing, Hannah. But as you can see, I have company. Another teacher from the school. Could you watch Luka until we're finished?" He turned his head and kissed the inside of her palm gently, though there wasn't nearly enough kindness in his eyes for the gesture.

She only nodded, looking concerned. "…Alright." She glanced back at Sebastian before taking the child out.

Sebastian stared after them for a moment before hissing at Claude, "You have a family?"

Claude nodded, going back over to pour himself another glass of wine. "The boy isn't mine, technically. My wife adopted him before our marriage. His parents died of some sickness or something. But he's sweet enough, and he calls me his father." He spoke as casually about his wife and son as he did about sleeping with teenagers and it made Sebastian sick.

"You have a family and yet you still fucked around with Alois?" He kept his voice hushed so Claude's wife wouldn't hear.

Claude only shrugged. "Would you be satisfied with a single woman after having been with Ciel?"

Sebastian shook his head, disgusted. "I don't even have words for you."

Claude grinned, sipping from his glass. "Alois had a few. And I'm sure Ciel will, too."

Sebastian stared back at him for a moment, too full of disgust and hatred to speak. "…You're pathetic." And then, unable to bear even being in his presence another minute, Sebastian turned on his heel and left the kitchen.

He passed the entryway to the living room on his way to the door, and he glimpsed the boy and Claude's wife playing within. The boy, Luka, was peeking out from behind the couch as Hannah walked around, wondering aloud where he could possibly be. Luka glanced over at Sebastian, putting a finger to his lips and smiling, and Sebastian couldn't help but smile back.

The image of Claude's family only did to make Sebastian angrier. He thought back to when he'd been to Claude's house before for their staff meeting and couldn't remember there being one. However, he'd been so obsessed with his own thoughts and life he probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. But seeing them now, completely unaware of what Claude was doing with students in his spare time made him angrier even than he was. So when he went back out to his car he found himself calling Alois again as he pulled from the curb.

"Is this really Michaelis again, or is my phone lying to me? Because if it is you I'm going to tell Ciel you called and I hope he'll be mad at you." Alois sounded bored in general, and Sebastian was beginning to think that that was just his default when he wasn't with Ciel.

"Yes, Alois, it's me. I was hoping you could come by for a bit so I could talk to you. I can pick you up if you tell me where you live." He tried to make it sound casual, because he knew it was a bit of an awkward situation.

"What, like, and go to your house? That's kinda a weird, Michaelis. Is it about Ciel? Because if it's about Ciel then yeah, sure." He sounded slightly more alert at the idea that Ciel might be involved, which almost surprised him. He knew the two were close, but he couldn't shake the image he had that Alois was basically selfish.

"Actually, it's not about Ciel. It's about you. And Claude." Sebastian waited through the silence he expected would follow. From what he did know of the situation, Claude wasn't much of a topic Alois was fond of speaking on. "But in the end it will be for Ciel's benefit, yes. But you'll have to trust me on that."

Again there was silence, and he felt he was losing Alois here.

"…I have alcohol."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll text the address to you." And he hung up.

Shortly after Sebastian got Alois's text, and he headed over. His house wasn't far from the school, and it didn't take him long to get there. It was getting rather late, and he didn't want another awkward run in with anyone's family, so he called Alois once he'd pulled up to the house. "Alright. I'm here."

"Kay. I'll be out in a minute."

A few minutes later Alois walked out of his house. He had apparently already been in bed, because he wore only rather short night shorts and a large buttoned shirt. He hadn't even bothered to put on shoes before coming out, and his hair was a bit disheveled.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him as he got into the car. "I see you made the effort to look your best."

"Shutup and get me to your place so I can have something to drink. My day was weird. Also your face is broken." Alois leaned his head against the window, looking bored and tired.

Sebastian frowned, pulling away from the curb and heading off towards his apartment. "Long story. Weird how?"

"Well Claude talked to Ciel and got him all upset so I went back to the school to yell at him but ended up running into my chemistry teacher and seducing him to get my mind off of Ciel being upset, and then after I went home Ciel was even more upset so I had to tell him some things about Claude so he'd know you weren't such an asshat."

"…You slept with your chemistry teacher? Don't you have William Spears?" Sebastian grimaced internally at the thought.

"Yeah. But it was about as boring as I expected. And a little weird. And I think he might be crushing on the redhead in our class. But anyway, what did you want?" Alois was absentmindedly twirling his hair around his finger. The look in the boy's eyes was distant and almost vacant, and everything about his body language read _exhausted_. It was beginning to seem to Sebastian like he was more despondent than bored, and it was beginning to concern him.

"I'll tell you about it once we're inside." And they were silent until they got to Sebastian's apartment.

Alois followed him wordlessly up to the door and inside, sitting down on the couch without invitation. Sebastian could tell that getting Alois to talk openly would take more than him asking nicely, so he went into the kitchen and got a bottle of bourbon from the cupboard and two glasses. He went back into the living room and poured one for each of them. Alois drained his in one go, so he poured him another.

"Now, I know this is very personal. And you may not want to talk about it, and you don't have to if you really don't. But I'd like you to tell me about what went on in your and Claude's relationship." Sebastian sipped from his own drink, watching Alois carefully.

Alois guarded himself visibly, holding his glass in both of his hands. "..Why?"

"Because I'm worried about you. And if you tell me I think we can help Ciel." Sebastian knew that Ciel was the only thing that would get Alois on his side, and he really needed him to talk to him.

Alois downed his glass again and poured himself another. Sebastian was a little afraid that the boy might get too drunk before they'd really gotten the chance to talk, but he knew better than to try to slow him down. "Well we had sex. A lot. And that's like it."

Sebastian nodded a little. "Yes, I know. But you implied on the phone before that he did some things you weren't exactly happy about."

Alois looked away, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "…Yeah. I guess. He had some pretty twisted kinks, yeah, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

Sensing what he'd already sort of known, Sebastian softened his voice considerably. "…Did he hurt you, Alois?"

Alois was quiet for a second, then finished his drink, not meeting Sebastian's eyes. "This is bullshit. Why do you care?" He poured himself another and took it in three swallows before Sebastian could stop him.

Sebastian stood and went over to sit next to him on the couch. Alois poured himself another glass but Sebastian put his hand over it before he got it to his lips, pushing it gently down and back onto the table. "Because I don't like the idea that he hurt you any more than I would that someone would hurt Ciel. I'm not just talking to you for his sake, Alois. I'm genuinely concerned about you, too. You're his best friend and one of my students. So yes. I care. If he abused you I need to know so we can do something about it."

Alois looked at him, tears in his eyes and starting to look a little intoxicated. "It's not like you think it is. He didn't force me to do anything. And it's not like I didn't stop him because I was scared of him or some shit. I'm not some kind of victim, okay."

Sebastian only nodded, gently putting an arm around him to steady him. "Okay. And you know what, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. But Alois I really think you should consider telling someone at the school, if you're comfortable with it."

Alois laughed bitterly. "Tell them what? That I whore around with teachers? That _I_ was the one who even started it but I got in over my head this time? Huh? It was my own damn fault, Sebastian. They're not going to listen to me."

Sebastian shook his head, speaking gently but firmly. "Alois, nothing is your fault. He's the adult here. It shouldn't matter who started anything. If he made you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, that's on _him_. Alois, you're still only a child. No one expects you to have the wisdom to go into every sexual situation knowing exactly what's going to happen. And you're _not_ a whore. There's nothing wrong with wanting to explore your own sexuality in whatever type of relationship you want to. As long as you're safe and comfortable. Which it doesn't sound to me like you were."

Alois looked away, hugging himself. "You don't have to treat me like some kind of rape survivor, Michaelis. It's not like it was like that. He just got weird and he was into things that freaked me out. But he stopped when I left so it doesn't matter now."

Sebastian only sighed, wrapping another arm around him and hugging him gently. He could smell the alcohol coming off of him, and he realized he was actually rather drunk. "It _does_ matter, Alois. Because if he hurt you in any way that's not okay. And I refuse to let him hurt you again or anyone else."

Alois looked at him, not quite aware yet himself that he was crying. "What do you mean?"

Sebastian hesitated for a moment, considering if it was really best to tell him in this state. "Well… I think he might be trying to go after Ciel. For the kind of relationship he had with you."

Alois's eyes widened. "…No. No he can't touch him. I won't let him."

"Shh, Alois, I know. And I won't let him either." Sensing how distressed he was growing, Sebastian gently stroked Alois's hair back in a way he knew calmed down Ciel. "But this is where you can help, okay? Alois if you tell someone at the school that Claude was inappropriate with you then not only will you never have to deal with him again, but he won't have access to Ciel, either." Sebastian didn't want Alois to think that Sebastian was using his abuse only to protect Ciel. And he realized it almost sounded that way. But that wasn't the case at all. The idea that Claude had hurt Alois at all was making him sick to his stomach, and he was resisting the urge to go back and hit him again.

Alois looked up at him. "So if I tell the school about it Ciel will be safe?"

Sebastian nodded, holding him tightly, as it seemed to be calming him down. "Yes. I believe so. But Alois I only want you to do it if you're comfortable and it's what you want to do. I'm not telling you you have to, alright? But it might help you to not have him at the school. So don't just do it because of Ciel, alright? I can keep Claude away from him myself if I have to."

Alois was quiet for a moment, thinking. "So… what do I have to say? To make him leave?" He'd started fidgeting slightly with the end of his shirt.

"Whatever you're comfortable with. But if you go in saying he abused you sexually then they'll listen." Sebastian gently kissed the top of Alois's head, more as a reflex than anything. The affection he was feeling for the boy right now was strong, though of course nothing like what he felt for Ciel. In that moment, he felt like Alois could be his own child. He felt the need to protect him all the same.

Alois nodded a little, looking off. "…And I guess it's not really a lie."

Sebastian just sighed, hugging him tightly. "Do you want to talk about it? Is there anything I can do?"

Alois only shook his head. "Just don't tell Ciel. I don't want him to get upset. He's been upset enough lately."

Sebastian nodded slightly. "Alright. Would you like me to take you home? You're a little drunk, and you should probably get some sleep. We can talk about this more later when you're sober."

Alois got kind of quiet again. "…Not really. My foster father is home tonight. Can I just sleep here?"

Sebastian only frowned. "You're a foster child?"

Alois just made a face, sitting up and away from him. "Yeah. My parents and my brother got sick and died when I was little. What of it?"

Sebastian just shook his head a little. "Nothing. I just didn't know. But yes, you can stay here. If you'd feel more comfortable in my bed I can sleep out here."

Alois only shook his head. "Nah. You guys fuck in there. I'll just sleep here." And he laid down right there on the couch, curling up on himself.

Sebastian considered arguing the point but decided to let it go. It seemed he'd made Alois talk about too many things he wasn't comfortable with already, and got him drunk besides. So instead he went and got him a pillow and blanket from the bedroom, and by the time he got back Alois was already asleep.

So he very gently lifted his head enough to slide the pillow beneath it, then carefully draped the blanket over him. His phone was lying on the table next to him, open to a recently sent text to Ciel. He watched him there for a moment before carrying the bottle and glasses into the kitchen. He put them in the sink, and then just stood there leaning against the counter for a moment, staring out the window without really seeing what was outside.

All the time he'd known Alois, first as his student and then as his lover's best friend, he realized he'd had only shallow misconceptions of him. He'd been a slacker. A gossip. A drunk. A whiner. And, and he was ashamed to admit it now, a slut. He slept in class and never did any work. He made obscene comments in class and flaunted all of his drinking and sleeping around loudly. He was blunt and biting and got in fights all the time. He was arrogant and shallow and self-obsessed and only cared about himself. He showed up drunk or hungover on a regular basis. He cheated on tests and blatantly flirted with male teachers. He was every teacher's worst nightmare and every student's idol. He constantly made himself the center of attention and got plenty of it of all kinds from both genders. He positively bled sex and juvenile delinquency and seemed to thrive on it. Alois Trancy was the last person in the world anyone would ever even think to feel anything like sympathy for.

But the child passed out on Sebastian's couch was nothing like any of it. He was young and scared and ashamed. But more than anything, Sebastian could see now, he was just starved for genuine affection. Sebastian didn't know what went on in the boy's house, but he would rather sleep on his English teacher's couch than at home when his foster father was there. He was sexually abused by a teacher and he was afraid his best friend would find out because it might make him upset to have to worry about him. The boy's family had died when he was young, and it was starting to look more and more like Ciel was the only person in the world he had. If the things Sebastian was assuming were true (and he had the horrible feeling they were), then all of his behavior wasn't in search of the kind of attention he was getting. No, this was a boy who just wanted someone to really and truly care about him.

And all he got was Claude.

The boy Alois had been in the car today was one that was defeated. He'd never seen Alois act like that before. It was subtle, sure. But the last person he'd trusted with his intimacy had hurt him. He was making rash decisions and ending up vulnerable with men he barely knew and Sebastian could see how it was wearing on him.

If getting rid of Claude would do even a little to bring Alois some peace of mind it would be worth it. He'd called him up hoping he could help Ciel, but now he wanted to do whatever he could to keep both of them safe. And not just because Alois was Ciel's best friend. Because he was only a child with no one else to turn to.

Sebastian rinsed out the glasses and put away the bottle. He walked through the living room on the way to his own bedroom, looking over at Alois as he did. The boy was curled up under the blanket and muttering to himself in his sleep. Sebastian had to resist the urge to pick him up and carry him to the bed to sleep, because he didn't want to do anything that might be stepping out of his bounds.

So he just fetched him another blanket and folded it up at his feet. He then went back into his room and got ready for bed himself.

Once he was in bed he took out his phone and sent a text off to Ciel telling him he wouldn't be in class the next day. He didn't much want to explain the condition of his face to his colleagues (or worse, Ash), and he figured they both needed a day off, anyway. And he wanted to explain to Ciel why Alois was sleeping on his couch, too.

After setting his phone to charge on the bedside table Sebastian reached up to gingerly touch his face and winced. Though now he would have taken ten more blows if it would have meant doing more damage to that abusive son of a bitch. And, thinking back to his conversation with Alois, he felt his anger growing inside him again. He imagined Alois going to the school and revealing the bastard as the slimy, disgusting creature that he was and it gave him some peace.

But he realized he had a new problem now, too. The thought of making Claude lose his job seemed great on one level, but now he knew he had a family. The image of the boy Luka came into his head, and he winced. If Claude was the only one in that house who was working it would be _him, _Sebastian, putting the family on thin ice.

But it wasn't really his battle, either. Telling Alois that he should tell someone about what happened with Claude wasn't something he could regret so easily. He knew it wasn't his place to tell Alois to do something that would have the potential to just make him more uncomfortable, but he knew at least bringing it to his attention as an option was a good thing. Although he did feel bad about bringing up Ciel He knew it wasn't really fair. He sort of felt now that he'd used his friendship with Alois to coerce him into the idea of telling someone about it. And that was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

Sebastian groaned and covered his face with his hands. There was too much in this. There was Claude's threat to go after Ciel. There was the part of him that wanted Alois to talk to someone both for his own sake and for Ciel's. There was also the fact though that he wanted Alois to do what was best for him, and as his own decision, un-persuaded. And then there was Claude's family who would end up as collateral damage if Claude went down for what he'd done.

But then, he knew he _should_ go down for it. Not just from a vengeful place in him, either. There was always the possibility that Claude would target other students, and that _was_ his responsibility to stop. But he knew that point was too much responsibility to put on Alois, so he'd left that part out.

It was all starting to overwhelm him, he decided that his best course of action would be to just to talk to Alois and Ciel in the morning when everyone was sober. It was all he could do right now. It occurred to him how much drama Ciel had brought into his life, and yet he still didn't regret it for a moment. He was willing to carry Ciel through to the end of it, even if that meant carrying his friends and all of their baggage as well. And even now as he was doubting that he had the strength to do it, he knew he had to try.

He'd never really had any other choice, anyway. And that was okay. He just might need another bottle of bourbon.

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Guys I have a lot of Alois feelings :c So that's why the focus was kind of on him this chapter. Also LUKA. Ugh. My heart. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapterrr~ I'll be back in Seattle soon and then I'll have my proofreader back, so you won't have to put up with my awful typos for much longer. I had to go back and fix a couple in the last chapter, quietly kicking myself as I did war with my ability to type. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	18. Something About Family

I am so sorry this has taken me roughly forever to finish and get up. I moved into my apartment and started work and things and it was all too crazy. But I am settled now, so this minor hiatus has passed. They might be a little slow at first because my hours are ridiculous, but chapters will still be a thing. I love you all for your patience c:

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"So… he passed out there?"

"Yes. It's a bit of a long story."

"Riiiight. I thought he didn't even like you."

"Yes, well, we were talking and he was drunk."

"Why did you give him alcohol? You know who he is, right?"

"Yes, Ciel. It wasn't one of my brighter ideas. And now he won't wake up. Do you think we should call someone?"

"He's fine. He's just a heavy sleeper. And I'm pretty sure if you try touching him again he'll just hit you."

"I doubt it, Ciel. He's too fast asleep to-_ow!"_

"Told you."

Sebastian had tried nudging Alois in his sleep again. While the first time had garnered him only a grumble and shifting under the blanket, this time Alois had turned over in his sleep, swinging his arm around and smacking Sebastian full on in his bruised and swollen face.

Sebastian was frowning and holding his face. "I honestly wasn't expecting that."

Alois groaned and rolled over, looking up at Sebastian with one eye. "Act like a bitch and get slapped like a bitch. The fuck do you want it's early."

Sebastian frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "It's noon."

Alois just made a face. "Don't back talk me, kid."

Sebastian just raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm nearly twice your age."

"Fuck you're old."

"Ugh."

Ciel was trying very hard to keep a straight face, and basically failing at it. "Okay, you guys. Why don't we just have lunch/breakfast, okay?"

Sebastian nodded, putting a hand on Ciel's waist and kissing the top of his head. "So long as no one feels the need to hit me over that, too."

Alois rolled his eyes, sitting up and holding his head. "You'll get over it. But Ciel my head huuuurts."

Ciel smiled and patted Alois's head. "That's a hangover, dear. You'll live."

Alois just groaned and got up, going into the kitchen. Ciel and Sebastian frowned and followed him to find him looking through Sebastian's kitchen and cupboards. "Your house sucks. You don't have any good food."

Sebastian frowned, crossing his arms. "I went shopping two days ago. I have plenty of food."

"I didn't say you had _no _food, dipshit. Just that you didn't have any _good_ food. It all needs cooking and shit."

Ciel looked up at Sebastian shrugging. "I guess he accepts you. You're getting called a lot of names this morning."

Sebastian just stood there watching Alois dismantle his kitchen. "Is that what it is? I thought he was just mad at me for getting him drunk. Or that his vocabulary was just severely lacking."

Alois reached back to flip him off, face buried in a cupboard.

Ciel only laughed, going and getting some cooking ingredients from the fridge.

When he'd called Sebastian this morning he was surprised to hear that Alois was there. Apparently Sebastian had gotten in a fight with Claude (which his face supported) and ended up talking to Alois about their relationship. Sebastian hadn't gone into detail, but from what he could tell it wasn't a good day for Alois, so Ciel had come over to spend the day with both of them.

Alois took the carton of eggs from him and carried them over to the counter. "I'm cooking."

Sebastian frowned, taking the carton from him. "Like hell you are. Go sit down."

"No you'll contaminate them." And he snatched them back from him, taking an egg out of the carton and pulling a bowl towards himself.

"Contaminate them with what? You don't even know what you're doing, give me that." And he tried to grab the bowl from him but Alois pulled it out of his reach before he could.

"Old. Now go away or I'll break an egg on you." He held up an egg threateningly.

"Ugh I'm not _that_ old, Alois. And you wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Sebastian reached for the egg carton again and the moment he did Alois smashed the egg right in the center of Sebastian's forehead.

"_Ack!_ Fuck Alois, I swear to god-"

"Get your crusty old eggy self away from me, you. I'm cooking over here."

Ciel had to make a conscious effort not to laugh as he handed Sebastian a towel to wipe the egg off of his face with. Sebastian took it from him, glaring back at Alois as he did so. "You're going to give us all salmonella."

"I'd rather have salmonella than catch your old."

"That doesn't even make any sense."

"You don't make any sense."

"Your originality astounds me."

Sebastian went over to the sink and rinsed the egg off of his face and out of his hair. Ciel went over and kissed him on the cheek, smiling. He spoke quietly in his ear, glancing back at Alois. "He likes you, you know."

Sebastian smiled and kissed him, gently touching his cheek. "I'm glad."

"Oops."

Sebastian and Ciel looked over and saw that Alois had missed the frying pan entirely in trying to pour the eggs he'd scrambled onto it, and now they were sizzling away on the burner.

Sebastian groaned, going over and pushing Alois aside to start cleaning it up. "I _told_ you didn't know what you were doing. I don't even know how you managed to do this. It doesn't make any physical sense."

"Shut the fuck up Sebastian it's your fault I'm hungover and have no depth perception."

"Those things aren't related at all you're just clumsy."

"At least I wasn't around when dinosaurs roamed the earth."

"I'm holding a spatula and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Yeah just don't throw out your back."

"My god."

Ciel just sat by while Alois and Sebastian managed to somehow actually make breakfast together. There were a couple times when Alois threatened him with more eggs, which Sebastian handled by holding the knife he was cutting fruit with in the air menacingly. Of course Alois just threw pieces of cantaloupe at him in response, so it wasn't quite as effective as he'd planned. Eventually, however, breakfast was actually together and they sat down to eat.

"Sebastian I think you burned my toast." Alois picked up the slice of toast from his plate, scrutinizing it.

"Alois, _yo_u made the toast." Sebastian rolled his eyes, biting into his own.

"Well fuck you Sebastian I wouldn't have burnt my own toast." Alois started in on his eggs, giving Sebastian a look like this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sebastian only sighed, pouring them each a glass of orange juice. "I could just as easily tell you that you don't cook the potatoes evenly. I think this one's actually still cold." And he speared a piece of potato on his fork, holding it up for Alois to see.

Alois stuck his tongue out. "I guess you'll just have to suffer."

Sebastian rolled his eyes again, putting fruit onto his plate. Ciel just smiled and took a strawberry off of Alois's fork.

He had been nervous from the beginning that Sebastian and Alois would be awkward around each other, but he was happy to see they were getting along very well, by Alois's standards. He thought it might be weird for Alois to see Sebastian as someone Ciel was going out with instead of as their teacher, but he seemed to be adapting quite well.

Ciel was going to tell Alois that what Sebastian said about his potatoes was true when his phone buzzed with a text. It was from his aunt.

"_Hey, Ciel. There's something important I want to tell you, so please come straight home after school. Of course Alois is welcome as always. Love you :)"_

Ciel frowned slightly. While it was true that his aunt texted him frequently, she rarely did so to say she had important things to talk about. Usually she was pretty casual even with the heavy stuff, because she said otherwise it just made things awkward. And even though it was generally light hearted, the text gave Ciel a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Sebastian must have caught his expression because he put a hand gently on his thigh under the table, frowning at him. "What is it?"

Ciel just shook his head. "My aunt just wants to tell me something important, I guess." He looked over at Alois. "And she says you can come."

Alois frowned slightly. "Damn right I can come. Are we waiting until after we'd be out of class or are we just fucking it and going over to see what she has to say?"

Ciel only shrugged. "Whatever you want to do. I don't think she'd care that we didn't go to class." He looked up at Sebastian. "Would that be okay with you if we went over? After she tells us whatever she has to say we can come back." Ciel leaned forward to kiss Sebastian's cheek.

Sebastian smiled and kissed his forehead. "Of course. Just call me and I'll come pick you up."

Alois rolled his eyes from across the table. "Good god get a room. I'm eating. You're so sweet you're giving me diabetes over here ugh."

Ciel laughed, tossing a grape at him. "Shutup Alois."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in relative peace, disregarding the point when Alois threatened to throw his orange juice at Sebastian for calling him a lightweight. This led to Alois challenging Sebastian to take shots with him, which Sebastian laughed at until Ciel quietly told him about the time he outdrank some college students they met at a bar. Alois had, of course, gotten ahold of surprisingly good fake IDs as soon as they could reasonably pass off for being of drinking age. Alois had downed roughly six shots more than the men twice his size and weight and walked out upright, which was more than could be said for the frat guys. This sobered up Sebastian significantly with every pun intended, and he was forced to admit his respect for Alois's strange talent.

Once they'd finished and cleaned up their dishes (one of which Alois broke, reinforcing Sebastian's comment about his clumsiness), Sebastian escorted them out to his car to give them a ride back to Ciel's aunt's house.

"So you walked all the way over here in the rain at three in the morning? The sex better have been fucking fantastic because I think that's more exercise than I get in a year. If you don't count sex." Alois was lying across the backseat as Ciel recounted to him the first time he and Sebastian had been together.

"It really isn't that far, you know." Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Alois through his rearview mirror. "At least not for anyone in even relatively good shape."

"Yeah well my flexibility makes up for it so fuck you guys. And your exercise. What are we having for dinner when we get back?" Alois was amusing himself by going through the papers in a school folder Sebastian had in the back of the car, dropping them to the floor as he finished reading each one.

"I don't think I ever explicitly invited you back for dinner, you know. Probably pasta or something, though." Sebastian looked over his shoulder at the mess and frowned.

"You know what goes great with pasta? Wine." Alois found one of his own papers and made a face at it, quietly tucking it between the seats.

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Alois I think your mind honestly only has two settings."

"Well luckily for one of those tracks I have very expensive tastes in wine, so he might be lucky on that front. The other I'm afraid I can't help you with, Alois." Sebastian turned onto Ciel's street, making sure to make the turn sharp enough to send Alois nearly off of the seat. But unfortunately for Sebastian, Alois actually did have rather good flexibility, and he managed to contort himself in a way that while the upper half of him rolled off the seat, he stayed mostly in place.

"God dammit. And we were doing so well. Conjure someone up for me and maybe I'll consider accepting you as Ciel's boyfriend." Alois twisted slightly to look up at Sebastian from between the two front seats.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, pulling up to the curb in front of Ciel's house. "I'll let you know if I can come up with anything."

Ciel leaned over and kissed Sebastian before getting out of the car, Alois following. Sebastian rolled down the window and leaned over toward them after they were out. "Call me if you need a ride, alright?"

Alois threw an arm around Ciel's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "Or you could always walk there in your pajamas. I hear it gets you laid."

Ciel rolled his eyes and pushed Alois off of him, waving to Sebastian as he walked up to his front door. Ciel heard him drive off as they went in, Alois laughing at his own joke.

When they walked in they heard talking in the living room. They went over and leaned in to see Ash and Angelina sitting on the couch talking. Ciel frowned, going in. The two of them looked up, surprised. "Ciel! I wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours! Oh and hi, Alois." She smiled warmly at them both, her hands in Ash's.

Ash frowned at them. "Why aren't you at school?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, stopping in front of the couch. "Why aren't you?"

Ash shrugged, smiling slightly. "Fair enough."

Alois walked up and put an arm over Ciel's shoulders again, smiling at Angelina. "Hello there, Angie. I wasn't feeling well this morning so Ciel came to see me. He's so great." Alois grinned and kissed Ciel's cheek loudly, Angelina smiling and Ash leaning away a little.

Ciel rolled his eyes, pushing Alois off by his face. "So you said there was something you wanted to tell me?"

Angelina nodded, looking at Ash and smiling. Ciel looked between the two for a second, feeling his heart sink in his chest as he knew what Angelina was going to say before she said it. "Ciel… Ash and I are getting married."

Ash grinned and kissed Ciel's aunt on the cheek, glancing over at Ciel as he did so. "So I guess that makes me your uncle, huh Ciel? Isn't that fine."

Ciel didn't say anything, his stomach squirming about unpleasantly. But he saw the smile on his aunt's face and he forced the corners of his mouth up, pushing back the taste of acid in his throat as he choked out his response. "Wow, aunt Red. That's… That's great."

When he looked over at Alois he was surprised to see how serious he looked. It only lasted a fraction of a second, but for just that instant Ciel could see a very serious concern on his friend's face. But it was gone just as quick, and again he was all smiles. "Married, huh? Well, damn! That's great! You know, I love weddings. Weddings are my fucking favorite! Congratulations, Angie!"

Alois went over and hugged Ciel's aunt, both of them looking perfectly happy and excited. Ciel and Ash made eye contact for a moment while the other two were distracted, and the look on his face sent a chill down Ciel's spine.

There was something about his smile that turned Ciel's stomach and made him want to run in the opposite direction. He made direct eye contact with Ciel, and it seemed he was looking directly into him in the most invasive way. But it only lasted a moment, and then he was smiling at Angelina again.

Ciel turned to his aunt and smiled, his voice tighter than he'd intended. "So. When's the wedding?"

Angelina smiled, holding tightly onto one of Ash's hands. "Actually we've decided we want something small so we could get it done as soon as possible, so we were thinking in about a week."

Ciel raised his eyebrows. "A week? That's… That's so soon."

She laughed, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear in an almost girlish way. "I know it's sudden. But really Ciel I just want us all to be a family as soon as possible, and a wedding is really only a formality. What's important is so much more than just a ceremony."

Ciel nodded. "You're right. Well, I'm just really happy for you, aunt Red. Truly." He went over and kissed her on the head, making a conscious effort not to make eye contact with Ash again.

But he looked right up at Ciel. "I hope it won't be too awkward for you to have your vice principal moving in."

Ciel didn't look at him. "Of course not. We've known you forever, so you're hardly a stranger. And nothing that could make my aunt so happy could be awkward."

Angelina smiled wide at this, positively beaming. "Ciel I could never ask for a nephew as perfect as you." She kissed him on the cheek, pushing his hair back from his face. "Or even a son."

Ciel smiled genuinely this time. A part of Ciel knew that his aunt saw him like a son, but hearing her say anything like it warmed his heart more than the present situation could dampen. He kissed the top of her head, his voice gentle. "I couldn't be happier as anyone else's."

Angelina smiled up at him, and he knew she was near tears. He kissed her cheek again, smiling genuinely at her. "Well, I don't want us to interrupt your wedding planning. If you want us, Alois and I will be up in my room."

Angelina nodded, smiling teary eyed at Ash. Ciel straightened up, glancing back over his shoulder as he went to the door. And even though Ash had embraced his aunt, he still looked over her shoulder at Ciel, grinning. Ciel turned away from them, grabbing Alois's arm and taking him up the stairs with him.

Once Ciel had closed the door behind them, Alois turned to look at him, hands on his hips. "Well this is some bullshit."

Ciel nodded, going to sit on his bed. "They haven't even been dating a year. I mean, sure, my family's known him forever but it's only been _months_ since they started dating."

"Mother fucker." Alois sat down next to Ciel. "What are we gonna do?"

Ciel groaned, lying back on his bed. "There's nothing we _can_ do. They're getting married in a fucking _week_."

Alois lay on his side next to Ciel, frowning. "I don't fucking get it. He isn't even hot."

Ciel gave him a look. "Alois."

Alois shrugged. "Two tracks, remember? No but really, it's fucked up. Did you see all the looks he was giving you? I think he's into you, Ciel. In like a super creepy way."

Ciel shivered. "I'm just going to choose to believe that isn't true. But I do think he's marrying my aunt for his own reasons. I just don't know what they are."

Alois shrugged. "Maybe you he wants your money? Your family's fucking loaded."

Ciel nodded thoughtfully. "Could be. But really just marrying her wouldn't do much. She didn't get a penny of my parent's money. She's just keeping it all in an account for me for once I turn 21."

"Hm. Well, if it's not her money it's definitely your ass." Alois kissed Ciel's cheek. "I mean, it's a very nice ass."

Ciel only groaned, grabbing his pillow and hitting Alois in the face with it. "I don't know. But if he hurts her I swear to god…"

Alois propped himself up a little, looking at him. "You'll what?"

Ciel frowned, surprised at how serious Alois sounded all of a sudden. "I don't know, Alois. I just don't want my aunt to get hurt."

Alois sat up, looking at him seriously. "None of us do. But if he does turn out to be dangerous at all you stay the fuck away from him, okay?"

Ciel nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure, okay. What's up with you?"

Alois laid back down on the bed, shrugging. "…You're just a kid, Ciel. Don't fuck around with grown men. They're a lot bigger and stronger than you are, okay? Just… be fucking careful." Alois hugged himself a little, just looking off.

Ciel nodded sincerely. "Alright. I'll be careful, Alois. Okay?"

Alois suddenly grinned. "Besides, you might get your boyfriend in trouble. Your new uncle _is _his boss, after all."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Don't call him my uncle. He's creepy enough already."

Alois laughed. "Yeah. I guess that's the last thing the Creepy needs help with."

They laid there in silence for a while, each lost in thought.

Ciel thought about the prospect of Ash becoming his uncle. But really, whether he wanted to think about it that way or not, be'd be basically becoming more like a stepfather. He didn't like that thought. Having Angelina as a new mother was one thing because she was still family and they loved each other. But even though Ash had been a family friend as long as Ciel could remember, he wasn't anything like family. He wasn't anything like blood.

"…Alois?"

Alois looked over at him. "Yeah?"

Ciel hesitated. "…Do you think about them a lot?"

"Who?"

"Your family."

Alois was quiet for a moment. "…I don't know. I guess. I was 13, so it's not like I was too young to remember them. And six years isn't very long. Why?"

Ciel shrugged a little. "I was just thinking about it. I was thinking about how weird it will be to have someone around that I'm not really related to. And then I realized that's how it always is for you."

Alois only shrugged, looking off. "…I guess it's weird. But at least you still have Angie."

"Yeah."

They were silent for a few minutes more.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Alois. I know you don't like talking about it." Ciel turned to look at Alois. His friend was just looking up at the ceiling, mostly expressionlessly.

"It's okay. I've kind of gotten used to my parents being dead. We weren't as close as you were with yours. I mean we got along and all, but there's a reason you never came over to my house when we were little. They were just kind of distant." Alois's eyes seemed to unfocus slightly. "…I think about my brother a lot, though."

Ciel propped himself up on an elbow. Alois had been there instantly for Ciel after his parents died. But even when Alois lost his own family two years later, his focus was only on Ciel. Except, of course, whenever anything made him think about his brother.

Alois had had a brother who was a full eleven years younger than him. Alois always talked about how he himself was an accident, and how his parents had had him when they were young. That after a while his parents had decided they did want a kid after all. And then they had Luka.

Alois had known that Luka was their favorite, but he didn't care. The boy was Alois's entire world. The Trancy parents spent a lot of time out, so Alois brought Luka over to Ciel's most days to play. Leaving such a small baby with someone who was a child himself had been irresponsible, they knew, but Angelina had helped the boys take care of him whenever they were over. When Luka was around Alois's eyes lit up in a way that Ciel hadn't seen since then.

But it was only two years after the boy was born that it happened. Alois's parents fell ill while Alois was away on a school trip. When he returned, his parents had perished, and the baby was sick as well.

It was Alois who found them. His parents dead and his brother sick. The baby was in bad shape, partly from the illness and partly from malnourishment since its parents had died. Angelina had picked up Alois and taken him to their home. An ambulance was called, and they took Luka to the hospital for treatment.

But the ambulance never made it there.

Alois's family lived in a house outside of the city. To get back into town you had to drive on a road that went around the side of a massive hill that overlooked the lake. It was winter, and the roads around the mountain were slick and icy. Something had caused the ambulance to lose traction, and had been sent down the hill and into the lake below. Luka's body was never recovered.

Alois had been more devastated by his brother's death than those of either of his parents. He never acted it around Ciel, but he saw it in his eyes. The light was gone.

No one could say what it was that had killed the Trancy parents. Whatever it was had acted quickly. Some blamed the weather. They were out in the country and the roads there were often so bad that people didn't venture out into the city. Whatever it was, it mattered little to Alois.

After that he was placed into the foster system. It wasn't long before Alois was placed with a family, but it didn't last. The family he was with now was his fourth in six years.

"…I know." Ciel shifted to hug his friend.

Alois laughed, hugging him back. "Damn Ciel, you don't have to get all touchy feely. I'm not going to get weepy on you or anything." But Alois hugged him tightly all the same.

It had always sort of been that way. Throughout their friendship both of them had lost their parents (and Alois his brother). They'd been uprooted from the lives they'd known and thrown into a box only to be shaken around violently, to resettle in something new and different. Ciel knew not all of Alois's relationships were as casual and smooth as he played them off as, and he knew he'd been hurt in more ways than one. Ciel was facing his mother-figure getting married, and it scared him. But through everything they'd gone through they'd always had each other, even though they never said a word about it. They were and always had been exactly what the other needed.

Even if Alois broke eggs on Ciel's boyfriend's face. He supposed it was forgivable.

* * *

Yaaay backstory. And boooo on the Creepy :/ But I like breakfast food so everything is okay. As always reviews are appreciated, likely more than eggs to the face. Unless they are very very good eggs. Eggs eggs eggs. Eggs. I'm really tired. Would you stop liking me if I named the next chapter something silly with the word "egg" in it? Probably. Shouldn't risk it. But the possibilities are endless. "If Wishes Were Eggs" "The Eggfather" "Les Misereggs" "Much Ado About Eggs" "Fullmetal Eggs" "Attack on Eggs" "Eggception" "The Last of the Egghicans" "Lord of the Eggs" "On the Origin of Eggs" "The Great Eggsby" "The Shawshank Eggdemption" "Catch Me if You Eggs" "The Last Eggbender" or maybe just "Eggs." Okay I think I'm done now. Eggs.


	19. Beastly

Hello again! I know it's been ages, I know. I'm starting to think my work and school schedules got together and had some super top secret evil planning meeting where they decided to move towards my destruction. In any case, you'll notice how painfully short this chapter is, as well as the fact that it's just kind of different in general. That's partially because I wanted some backstory on Sebastian, but mostly because the next major development needs to happen from Ciel's side, and to be honest I needed a bit of filler. But this should also at least be a little fun for those of you who have read the manga :)

* * *

"...which shows how the way in which Fortibras foils Hamlet could be said to make him one of the most principle characters in the play." Sebastian turned the page in his book, about to move onto the next point of the day's discussion when a hand shot up in front of him.

Sebastian looked down the table, sighing to see who it was to call his attention. The student at the end of the table had striking red hair, a multitude of shining silver hoop earrings, and a laugh lingering just about his lips. He could be considered the class clown of this English 111 class Sebastian was teaching, and he was as much a smartass as a joker.

Sebastian detested him.

"Now hang on, professor. Wouldn't you say calling Fortibras a 'principle character' is a bit of a stretch? He isn't even in either of the movie versions of Hamlet I've seen." He leaned back in his chair, smiling at him and rolling a small rubber ball between his fingers.

His smile was pleasant, and not disrespectful in the slightest. He was nice enough to his peers and professors, and seemed only really to seek to make those around him laugh. But he annoyed Sebastian all the same. Maybe it was the way his friends followed him around like they worshipped him, or how his girlfriend practically hung off of him, glaring coldly at most everyone else in the room. It didn't help that she was incredibly attractive, either.

"If you were listening you'd have heard the argument we just discussed." Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the young man across the table from him.

He only shrugged, sitting up and leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. He bounced the ball once before rolling it down the table to Sebastian. "Yeah, you talked about how he foils Hamlet and all that. But I don't know, I don't think it's really fair to give him all the attention and then gloss over characters like Laertes. We barely talked about him at all."

Sebastian sighed, closing his book and rolling the ball back. "Laertes can be boiled down to basic. He arranges a dual with Hamlet because he blames him for his sister's madness and suicide. It's much more simple than the more complex political considerations of Fortibras."

The young man smiled to himself, bouncing the ball on the table. "There's nothing basic about the need for vengeance, Professor." He looked back up at Sebastian, rolling the ball down the table to him once more. "I thought that was the whole point of the story, after all. Hamlet seeks vengeance against his uncle for the death of his father, Laertes for the death of his sister."

Sebastian caught the ball on the table. He couldn't really argue with that one, though. "I suppose you're right. But that's not to say that characters outside of the theme of vengeance are of lesser importance. Sometimes it's the characters on the sidelines that make all the difference." They heard a distant bell ring, and Sebastian stood, piling his papers and book into his bag.

As the young man walked past him, Sebastian tossed the rubber ball back to him. The boy grinned stupidly and waved before heading out, his entourage in tow. Sebastian took a moment to reorganize the papers in his bag once the room was emptied, only to find shortly thereafter that it was hardly empty at all.

"You shouldn't let him get to your pride. It's not like he was trying to."

Sebastian looked up to see that the young man's girlfriend was who spoke to him. She was tall and maturely built, even for a young woman such as herself. Her hair was thick and dark, falling over her shoulders in glossy ringlets. Sebastian looked back down at his papers before he crossed the threshold for staring. "He didn't. I encourage discussion in my classes."

She raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip. "Uh huh. Sure. I heard someone say you've taught Hamlet like every quarter you've been here. Bet not many people argue with you anymore, huh?" She leaned back against the table, watching him.

Sebastian shrugged. "Your boyfriend makes good points."

Her eyes widened and she laughed a little. "J. isn't my boyfriend, professor. We just grew up together."

Sebastian shut his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "I'll be sure to attend to that distinction in the future. If you'll excuse me." He turned and made for the door, but she walked with him.

"You seem rushed, professor. Are you going somewhere?" She kept pace beside him, and it took far too much of Sebastian's concentration for his eyes not to pull downward to her purposely-exposed cleavage.

"Actually, yes. If you have any questions about the reading, feel free to email me." And with no more than a curt nod he exited the building, walking briskly down the path toward the far side of campus.

Sebastian wondered at himself as to what had just happened. Of course, over the years, he'd made mental acknowledgements when he came into contact with his more attractive students, though it had never really registered too strongly with him. And yet, for some reason he found himself undeniably attracted to this particular young woman.

Over the next days Sebastian made a conscious effort to pay her no notice, which almost seemed to intensify his strange infatuation. Eventually it was her who asked Sebastian to dinner.

"Don't make this awkward." She twirled her straw around in her drink, sending the ice spinning around as it slowly melted.

"I'm not making it awkward." Sebastian took a roll from the basket on their table, tearing it open and taking a bite from it. It had surprised him when she asked him to such an upper scale restaurant, but now he was appreciating the bread and drinks as the buffers they were in a situation that really was awkward.

"Good. If it takes a couple of drinks, then do what you have to do." She took a sip of her own, glancing over a menu in front of her that didn't even show prices.

Sebastian glanced at his drink, thinking she might have a point. He hadn't been on a date in years, let alone one with a student. And never with a woman so… well, intimidating. "You really shouldn't try to get your professors drunk, you know."

She only laughed, flagging down a waiter. "You'd be surprised at the benefits it has."

Sebastian didn't have to ask what she meant. Her cleavage did all the answering it needed to.

They went out for a few weeks before Sebastian had considered them to actually be dating, and it was a few months later that they moved in together.

Their relationship was a bit unconventional, yes, but it was passionate. The lust that had brought them together grew into love in the years they dated until she graduated, and by the time Sebastian proposed their relationship was very different than it had been in her undergrad years.

As Sebastian was waiting for their wedding ceremony to start, he was surprised when his bride's maid-of-honor/best-man (and Sebastian's former student), knocked on the door.

He had less rings in his ears now, but his hair was as bright as ever. "Heya Sebby, I think we have a problem."

Sebastian stood, instantly worried. "What is it? She isn't getting cold feet, is she?"

"Nah, her dress is just stuck, and none of us can get it. She wants you to do it." He stuck his thumb back out into the corridor, shrugging.

Sebastian sighed, smiling slightly. "She knows that's bad luck, right?"

He only rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure, but if you ask me, what's really bad luck is not doing whatever she says on her wedding day.

Sebastian smiled. "Fair enough."

When Sebastian went into the room where his bride was waiting he froze a moment, stunned. She looked positively gorgeous. Her mermaid style off-white gown accentuated every perfect curve of her body. Her lace veil was strung with the occasional pearl bead, and when Sebastian walked in it was draped over her nest of curls in such a perfect way that he was positively overwhelmed with its classic beauty.

She looked back at him and smiled a little sheepishly, reaching around to the zipper she couldn't get unstuck. "I need help."

It took Sebastian a moment to regain the ability to speak, and when he did, he smiled. "Of course." He went over and carefully worked the bit of fabric that was stuck in her zipper free. "I'm starting to think the reason the groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the ceremony is because he'll be too stunned by the image of her beauty to remember his vows."

She only laughed. "Stop it, I'm blushing enough already."

But he couldn't stop, so he leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. "And even that's a beautiful thing."

After the wedding they spent a week in a summer house that belonged to her adopted father. When they reluctantly decided that they needed to return to reality they bought a house together, and it took them roughly forty-five minutes to decide on curtains.

"Come on Sebastian, yellow is way too loud for that room. And it would wash out the couch entirely." She tossed aside a canary yellow fabric swatch in exchange for one that was a pleasant robin's egg blue.

"Blue is pretty safe. I'd think you'd look for something a little more adventurous than that." He put his hands gently on her waist from behind, kissing the back of her head.

She laughed, tossing a couple pieces of fabric over her shoulder and onto his head. "If I had to find adventure in curtain colors you'd have to just go ahead and declare an early mid-life crisis right here."

Eventually they decided on the blue.

Over the years, time matured her. Eventually even her wild curls were tamed to the steadied hand of a woman given to practicality over excitement, stability over passion. As the next few years passed the fire in their relationship flickered and died, until all that remained were the smoking ashes of a too hasty proposal.

"It doesn't even fucking _matter_ to you, does it?" She threw the pillow toward Sebastian with as much force as she could muster, though he ducked to avoid it.

"You know what? No. No it doesn't. Because_ it doesn't matter_. I don't know why you have to get so-_fuck! _Will you watch it?!" Sebastian barely avoided the alarm clock that she had violently ripped from the wall to hurl at his head.

"Don't _tell _me I can't get worked up! And it _does_ matter! And it should matter to _you_ because it fucking matters to _me!_" She glared angrily at him before sitting down on the bed, the steam that powered her rage running out. "…It matters to me."

Sebastian stood there for a moment to gauge the room before responding. "…I know it matters to you. But I don't understand why we have to fight about every little fucking thing."

"…I don't know." She looked off, turning her ring on her finger. "…Is that all we can do anymore?"

Sebastian sighed and sat down next to her. "…No. Of course not." He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head, but even as he did so he knew neither of them felt anything. And he knew his words weren't true.

They'd fallen out of love.

Sebastian lost their house in the divorce, but he'd lost so much more than that. He'd lost her, of course, but if anything that was more of a relief. They both had realized somewhere along the way that what had brought them together was not the kind of love that can bind two people for a lifetime. It never had been, and it never would be.

No, he'd lost something else. When he'd lost the love in his marriage he'd lost his faith. The spiritual part of him that powered his every other passion. And he found he couldn't teach anymore.

He left the university before he realized that it was then that he was actually leaving the love of his life. He didn't fully understand the depth of that one mistake until he stared into the faces of high school students who would never pass a ball with him and discuss the central themes of Shakespearean tragedy.

Sebastian realized, now, as he cleaned up the kitchen from the morning's breakfast mess that the boredom and apathy that had characterized his life from his marriage to only weeks before was a much more insidious and destructive thing than it had seemed.

But thankfully for him, he'd found his purpose again when he found this new and very different kind of love.

He remembered telling Ciel that he had been engaged, but not that it had actually led to marriage. He wondered briefly why he had made the omission. Was it that he was afraid the idea that he had been married would have scared the boy off? No, he didn't think so. He probably knew somewhere that that wound had never fully healed, but he refused to acknowledge it. He supposed, then, like he refused to acknowledge his previous vows to Ciel.

Sebastian tossed the rag he'd been wiping down the stove with onto the edge of the sink, leaning back against the counter and taking out his phone. He didn't have any calls or messages from Ciel, so he supposed he was still talking with his aunt. He had seen the look of concern on Ciel's face, and it had been worrying him since he dropped the boys off.

He knew, at least, that whatever it was he would be there to support him. It was all he could do. He remembered there was leftover cake in the fridge that a colleague had vested in him after a recent staff meeting, and he considered taking it out for the three of them to have when they got back, in case the news had been bad.

His relationship with Ciel might be young and unconventional, but Sebastian felt something in it that was entirely unlike anything his marriage had been. This wasn't a love moved by physical passions and excitement. When he looked in his wife's eyes he had seen someone he wanted to call his own. In Ciel's he saw something he wanted to come to deserve. He respected Ciel and his life's choices and hardships and landmarks in a way he never had before with anyone he'd been with.

Sebastian was startled from his musings when he phone buzzed with a text from Ciel.

"_Ash and my aunt are getting married."_

Sebastian stared at his phone for a moment as the news sank in. He decided he would need to pick up another bottle of wine on the way to go along with the cake.

* * *

Yaaaay backstory. And really, the marriage themes line up anyway, so there could be worse filler. Anyway, even though I've been busy lately I haven't been entirely useless as far as any of you are concerned. I managed to finish outlining the story all the way to its conclusion, so I have some definite direction. There's still plenty to go though, so don't worry :) We're looking at more than ten more chapters, so you'll have plenty of reading for your bored hours. I wish I could say I had more clever pop culture titles to insert the word egg into for you, but alas, all I can think of is that I should probably put on pants so I can meet someone for coffee eventually. But that sounds like a lot of effort. Pants are hard.


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